Category: Books About Books

Book Tour, Books About Books, Cozy, Family, Magical, Mystery, Partners In Crime

By Hook or By Book by Misty Simon

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

June 2 – 27, 2025 Virtual Book Tour
The Charmed Inn Mysteries #1

Description

Roxy Gleason, an innkeeper by trade and a bibliomancer by birth, has lived in the same small town on the Susquehanna River in Central Pennsylvania for her entire life. Tradition is strong here. Roxy understands the rules and is willing to play by them most of the time. She runs the Charmed Inn, which has been in her family for decades.

The inn is all set to host a writers’ professional business weekend that’s been planned down to the very last hand-folded napkin, and Roxy is ready for the influx of creatives. She knows she’ll have a lot of different and sometimes unusual personalities to deal with, but this is a yearly function, so she’s not expecting anything to go awry.

Her expectations are completely tanked when she finds a dead body on her daily walk by the river’s shore. Owen Schultz had checked in for the conference a few hours ago, and she’d last seen him having tea with her aunt in the dining room.

How did he get down here on the ferry, and who killed him?

Fans of Lucy Score, Melissa F. Miller, Dianne Harman, Lynn Cahoon, Deany Ray, Kathi Daley, and Merryn Allingham will enjoy Misty Simon.

My Thoughts

I always enjoy the beginnings of a new cozy mystery series, and Misty Simon’s Charmed Inn Mysteries is very promising, indeed. The writing is loose and flowing, lending an air of familiarity and comfort to the reader as the story progresses.

I enjoyed the colorful characters, especially Roxy and her bibliomancy skills. I’ve read a few stories where books “speak” to the protagonist, but Simon handles that piece of the story with colorful imagination, helping the reader to imagine the letters, sparking and dancing in the air, form the crucial messages that help Roxy unravel the mystery.

Simon successfully introduces an endearing and appealing cast of characters who will undoubtedly continue to encounter murder mysteries in future books. I was hooked from the first sentence describing Roxy’s uncle as “Cheezy Rider,” which immediately clues in the reader to expect a fun story.

Recommended for cozy mystery fans.

Author Bio

Misty Simon always wanted to be a storyteller…preferably behind a Muppet. Animal was number one, followed closely by Sherlock Hemlock… Since that dream didn’t come true, she began writing stories to share her world with readers, one laugh at a time.

Touching people’s hearts and funny bones are two of her favorite things, and she hopes everyone at least snickers in the right places when reading her books. She lives with her husband in Central Pennsylvania where she is hard at work on her next novel or three. She loves to hear from readers so drop her a line at misty@mistysimon.com.

Catch Up With Misty Simon:

MistySimon.com
Amazon Author Profile
Goodreads
BookBub – @MistySimon
Instagram – @mistysimonwrites
Threads – @mistysimonwrites
Facebook – @misty.simon.18

Book Details

Genre: Rom Cozy (Paranormal Cozy mystery with Romantic elements)
Published by: Rowan Prose Publishing
Publication Date: June 3, 2025
Number of Pages: 300
ASIN: B0D98KM21B
Series: The Charmed Inn Mysteries, Book 1

Shortlinks:

Author’s Links:

Book Links: 

Series Links:

Book Tour, Books About Books, Mystery, Partners In Crime

The Tell-Tale Homicide by Daphne Silver

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

THE RARE BOOKS COZY MYSTERIES
by Daphne Silver
November 25, 2024 – January 3, 2025 Virtual Book Tour

Rare books librarian Juniper Blume lands her dream job: creating a new museum in her Chesapeake Bay town of Rose Mallow, Maryland. But on her very first day, she makes a shocking discovery – a dead man clutching a book by Edgar Allan Poe, stolen from the collections!

As Juniper gets closer to cracking the coded message hidden inside the book, she realizes someone is desperate to keep its literary secrets buried… even if that means burying her too.

Dressed in her signature vintage style with rescue pup Clover by her side, the fearless bookworm must hunt down the culprit before becoming the next victim. But can she solve the case without jeopardizing a budding romance with her boss, the dashing Leo Calverton? And can she help her sister Azalea perfect their grandmother’s legendary blintz recipe before the Rose Mallow Festival?

A delightfully deadly page-turner, The Tell-Tale Homicide continues the charming Rare Books Cozy Mystery series by Agatha award-winning author Daphne Silver. Fans of Kate Carlisle and Jenn McKinlay will love tagging along with the whip-smart, book-loving Juniper on her adventures.

My Thoughts

The second entry in this series is just as charming as the first. Juniper Blume is back along with her sister Azalea, the hunky Leo Calverton (who is NOT her boyfriend!) and a few other colorful characters populating the quaint town of Rose Mallow.

The murder mystery involves priceless books by Edgar Allan Poe but also plenty of red herrings driven by the chaotic nature of past loves & betrayals and new relationships. Juniper is positioned here to be the bridge between the wealthy Calvertons and the business owners and residents of Rose Mallow, which I think will make for some entertaining future books. The resolution of this mystery was a surprise and went in a completely unexpected direction. I enjoy the author’s style and storytelling quite a bit and will be recommending this series.

Series Details:

Genre: Cozy Mystery
Published by: Level Best Books
Series:The Rare Books Cozy Mysteries
Series Links: Amazon | Level Best Books

Shortlinks:

Author’s Website    https://pictbooks.tours/D0sXv    
Goodreads    https://pictbooks.tours/X7LIz    
BookBub    https://pictbooks.tours/sDzca    @daphnesilverbooks
Instagram    https://pictbooks.tours/C5VYw    @daphnesilverbooks
Facebook    https://pictbooks.tours/TRRI7    @daphnesilverbooks
        
Amazon –     https://pictbooks.tours/KIcgR    
BN –     https://pictbooks.tours/KrTks    
Goodreads –     https://pictbooks.tours/F52VK    
BookShop.org –     https://pictbooks.tours/JgLP3    
Publisher –     https://pictbooks.tours/We0tK    
        
Amazon –     https://pictbooks.tours/WL0jt    
Goodreads –     https://pictbooks.tours/waf7E    
        
SERIES – AMAZON    https://pictbooks.tours/s7CRf   

Author Bio

Daphne Silver is the Agatha Award winning author of the Rare Books Cozy Mystery Series. Her first novel, Crime and Parchment (Level Best Books, 2023), won the Agatha for Best First Mystery Novel. Her latest book, The Tell-Tale Homicide, comes out November 2024 from Level Best Books. She’s worked more than twenty years in museums and symphonies and has the great fortune of being married to a librarian. When she’s not writing, she’s drawing and painting. She lives in Maryland with her family. Although she’s not much of a baker, she won’t ever turn down a sweet lokshen kugel.

Partners In Crime Book Tours

Book Tour, Books About Books, Cozy, Mystery, Partners In Crime

Crime & Parchment by Daphne Silver

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

THE RARE BOOKS COZY MYSTERIES
by Daphne Silver
November 25, 2024 – January 3, 2025 Virtual Book Tour

Description

Rare books librarian Juniper Blume knows this much… an ancient Celtic manuscript shouldn’t be in a Maryland cemetery. But that’s exactly what her brother-in-law claims.

Last year, Juniper saw the 1,200-year-old Book of Kells in Ireland. She learned how their bejeweled covers were stolen centuries ago, never to be seen again. So how could they have ended up in Rose Mallow, a small Chesapeake Bay town? Being Jewish, the Book of Kells might not be her sacred text, but as a rare books librarian, the ancient book is still sacred to her, making it important to Juniper to find out the truth.

Rose Mallow is the same place where Juniper used to summer with her sister Azalea and their grandmother Zinnia, known as Nana Z. Ever since Nana Z passed away, Juniper’s avoided returning, but her curiosity is greater than her grief, so she heads down in her vintage convertible with her rescue dog Clover.

Juniper discovers that her sister Azalea has transformed their grandmother’s Queen Anne style mansion into the Wildflower Inn, backing up to the Chesapeake Bay. Although Juniper isn’t much of a cook, Azalea has kept their grandmother’s legacy alive, filling the house with the smells of East European Jewish treats, like sweet kugels and tzimmes cake. Will coming back here feel like returning home or fill Juniper with a deeper sorrow? Can she apologize to her sister for not being there when she was needed most?

My Thoughts

The first in what appears to be series featuring Juniper Blume, Crime & Parchment is a well-written, clever mystery that will appeal to fans of cozies as well librarians (and there’s a big overlap there!).

Silver does a good job of fleshing out the characters which will certainly have a place in future books. Juniper is portrayed as both self-assured and full of doubt, never quite certain of her place in Rose Mallow. Her sister Azalea rounds out the family connection and the relationship between the sisters is one of the tension points in the story. Then there’s the potential love interest for Juniper, Leo Calverton, and the complicated relationship between Azalea and her ex-husband Rory.

Beyond the relationships is the crux of the mystery – could the long-lost, priceless covers of the the Book of Kells really be in Rose Mallow, Maryland? Sounds preposterous, right? The author makes an interesting case and seamlessly incorporates lots of Maryland history into the story.

This is a series to watch and will be one I recommend. Watch for Silver’s next entry in the series, The Tell-Tale Homicide, coming this fall and reviewed here on November 30.

Series Details:

Genre: Cozy Mystery
Published by: Level Best Books
Series:The Rare Books Cozy Mysteries
Series Links: Amazon | Level Best Books

Shortlinks:

Author’s Website    https://pictbooks.tours/D0sXv    
Goodreads    https://pictbooks.tours/X7LIz    
BookBub    https://pictbooks.tours/sDzca    @daphnesilverbooks
Instagram    https://pictbooks.tours/C5VYw    @daphnesilverbooks
Facebook    https://pictbooks.tours/TRRI7    @daphnesilverbooks
        
Amazon –     https://pictbooks.tours/KIcgR    
BN –     https://pictbooks.tours/KrTks    
Goodreads –     https://pictbooks.tours/F52VK    
BookShop.org –     https://pictbooks.tours/JgLP3    
Publisher –     https://pictbooks.tours/We0tK    
        
Amazon –     https://pictbooks.tours/WL0jt    
Goodreads –     https://pictbooks.tours/waf7E    
        
SERIES – AMAZON    https://pictbooks.tours/s7CRf 

Author Bio:

Daphne Silver is the Agatha Award winning author of the Rare Books Cozy Mystery Series. Her first novel, Crime and Parchment (Level Best Books, 2023), won the Agatha for Best First Mystery Novel. Her latest book, The Tell-Tale Homicide, comes out November 2024 from Level Best Books. She’s worked more than twenty years in museums and symphonies and has the great fortune of being married to a librarian. When she’s not writing, she’s drawing and painting. She lives in Maryland with her family. Although she’s not much of a baker, she won’t ever turn down a sweet lokshen kugel.

Catch Up With Daphne Silver:
www.DaphneSilver.com
Goodreads
BookBub – @daphnesilverbooks
Instagram – @daphnesilverbooks
Facebook – @daphnesilverbooks

Partners In Crime Book Tours
Books About Books, Family, Mystery, New Releases, Reading, Suspense, Women

Return to Wyldecliffe Heights by Carol Goodman

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Description

Jane Eyre meets The Thirteenth Tale in this new modern gothic mystery from two-time Mary Higgins Clark Award–winner Carol Goodman, about a reclusive writer who is desperate to rewrite the past.

Losing yourself inside of a book can be dangerous. Not everyone finds their way out.

Agnes Corey, a junior editor at a small independent publisher, has been hired by enigmatic author Veronica St. Clair to transcribe the sequel to her 1993 hit phenomenon, The Secret of Wyldcliffe Heights. St. Clair has been a recluse since the publication of the Jane Eyre-esque book, which coincided with a terrible fire that blinded and scarred her. Arriving in the Hudson Valley at St. Clair’s crumbling estate, which was once a psychiatric hospital for “wayward women,” Agnes is eager to ensure St. Clair’s devoted fans will get the sequel they’ve been anticipating for the past thirty years.

As St. Clair dictates, Agnes realizes there are clues in the story that reveal the true—and terrifying—events three decades ago that inspired the original novel. The line between fact and fiction becomes increasingly blurred, and Agnes discovers terrible secrets about an unresolved murder from long ago, which have startling connections to her own life. As St. Clair’s twisting tale infiltrates Agnes’s psyche, Agnes begins to question her own sanity—and safety. In order to save herself, Agnes must uncover what really happened to St. Clair, and in doing so, set free the stories of all the women victimized by Wyldcliffe Heights. 

My Thoughts

Carol Goodman never fails to deliver a riveting, complicated, and suspenseful story and she has succeeded admirably here. Goodman excels in writing complex relationships, often mother-daughter, that span generations, and the saga of Wyldecliffe Heights certainly provides plenty of family drama. There is the horrifying secret from the past, combined with the damaged younger protagonist, combined with the creepy history of the house as an asylum that all come together to create a story that doesn’t stop.

While there are nods to Jane Eyre and The Thirteenth Tale, this is an original and cleverly plotted story with a great twist at the end. This will appeal to fans of Simone St. James and Eve Chase, but also to Goodman’s legion of readers. Her books just keep getting better! I’ll be adding this to my recommended Spooky Season reads this year for sure.

Publication Date: July 30, 2024
Published By: William Morrow
Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy

Books About Books, Fantasy, Magical, Magical Realism, Makes You Think, Mystery, New Releases, Psychological, Suspense

The Book of Doors by Gareth Brown

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Description

A debut novel full of magic, adventure, and romance, The Book of Doors opens up a thrilling world of contemporary fantasy for readers of The Midnight Library, The Invisible Life of Addie Larue, The Night Circus, and any modern story that mixes the wonder of the unknown with just a tinge of darkness.

Cassie Andrews works in a New York City bookshop, shelving books, making coffee for customers, and living an unassuming, ordinary life. Until the day one of her favorite customers—a lonely yet charming old man—dies right in front of her. Cassie is devastated. She always loved his stories, and now she has nothing to remember him by. Nothing but the last book he was reading.  

But this is no ordinary book…

It is the Book of Doors. 

Inscribed with enigmatic words and mysterious drawings, it promises Cassie that any door is every door. You just need to know how to open them.

Then she’s approached by a gaunt stranger in a rumpled black suit with a Scottish brogue who calls himself Drummond Fox. He’s a librarian who keeps watch over a unique set of rare volumes. The tome now in Cassie’s possession is not the only book with great power, but it is the one most coveted by those who collect them. 

Now Cassie is being hunted by those few who know of the Special Books. With only her roommate Izzy to confide in, she has to decide if she will help the mysterious and haunted Drummond protect the Book of Doors—and the other books in his secret library’s care—from those who will do evil. Because only Drummond knows where the unique library is and only Cassie’s book can get them there. 

But there are those willing to kill to obtain those secrets. And a dark force—in the form of a shadowy, sadistic woman—is at the very top of that list.

My Thoughts

The early chapters in this mesmerizing book kept me glued to the pages. I was fascinated by the concept of the books, especially the Book of Doors. However, I put the book down after the introduction of “the woman” and the subsequent chapters that described her sociopathic, cruel behavior. The introduction of the woman and particularly what she did with the Book of Despair horrified me and I needed a break.

If you are a squeamish reader, this is your warning. The violence here is V.i.o.l.e.n.t.

When I came back, I waded through chapters that became increasingly challenging to keep straight. Make no mistake, this is a complex plot that requires close reading. The concept of the books was so intriguing that I was able to set aside several instances of irritating and insensitive dialog and description, which could be fixed with some editing. Considering I was reading an ARC, hopefully these things will be fixed in the final version.

There is some insight to the “why” of the cruelty and sociopathy at the end, but that part left me wondering if the final scene in NYC with Hugo and Rachel actually started the whole cycle all over again.

My prediction is that most readers will either love or hate this book. I’m in the middle – I am totally there for the Books, but less so for the humans in the story.

Publication Date: February 13, 2024
Published By: William Morrow
Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy

Books About Books, Cozy, Mystery

Twelve Books of Christmas by Kate Carlisle

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Description

San Francisco book-restoration expert Brooklyn Wainwright and her hunky security-expert husband, Derek Stone, face a locked-room murder mystery during the holidays in Scotland.

In the middle of a wonderful Christmas holiday in Dharma, Brooklyn and Derek receive a frantic phone call from their dear friend Claire in Loch Ness, Scotland. The laird of the castle, Cameron MacKinnon, has just proposed to her! They plan to be married on New Year’s Day, and they want Derek and Brooklyn to be their witnesses. And while they’re visiting, Claire hopes that Brooklyn will be able to solve a little mystery that’s occurred in the castle library—twelve very rare, very important books have gone missing.

Once in Scotland, Brooklyn starts working on the mystery of the missing books but is soon distracted by all of the thumping and bumping noises she’s been hearing in the middle of the night. You’d think the Ghost of Christmas Past had taken up residence. But when one of the guests is poisoned and another is killed by an arrow through the heart, Brooklyn and Derek know this is not the work of any ghost. Now they must race to find a killer and a book thief before another murder occurs and their friends’ bright and happy future turns dark and deadly.

My Thoughts

This series is like taking as vacation with old friends. I’ve been reading the Bibliophile mysteries from the start and still eagerly await each new entry. I can’t say that for many cozy series, and this one made me stop and think a bit about why this series is different.

Partly (and maybe above all) Carlisle is a top-notch writer. She has a mastery of words and description, is excellent at character development and planning (HOW does she keep Brooklyn’s family straight?!?), and plots a clever, clever mystery every time. I also don’t see her re-using bits of dialog and narrative description the way some other authors do. As a reader, I feel like she, as the author, has really spent time and attention on every detail, and I truly appreciate that.

Readers new to the series might want to go back and read them in order, but it’s not entirely necessary. You can read this one and still have a solid grasp of what’s going on.

As usual, I’m recommending this.

Publication Date: October 24, 2023
Published By: Berkley Publishing Group
Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy

Books About Books, Magical, Magical Realism, Mystery, Reading, Romance, Time Slip, Women

The Invisible Hour by Alice Hoffman

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Description

From the beloved New York Times bestselling author of The Marriage of Opposites and the Practical Magic series comes an enchanting novel about love, heartbreak, self-discovery, and the enduring magic of books.

One brilliant June day when Mia Jacob can no longer see a way to survive, the power of words saves her. The Scarlet Letter was written almost two hundred years earlier, but it seems to tell the story of Mia’s mother, Ivy, and their life inside the Community—an oppressive cult in western Massachusetts where contact with the outside world is forbidden, and books are considered evil. But how could this be? How could Nathaniel Hawthorne have so perfectly captured the pain and loss that Mia carries inside her?

Through a journey of heartbreak, love, and time, Mia must abandon the rules she was raised with at the Community. As she does, she realizes that reading can transport you to other worlds or bring them to you, and that readers and writers affect one another in mysterious ways. She learns that time is more fluid than she can imagine, and that love is stronger than any chains that bind you.

As a girl Mia fell in love with a book. Now as a young woman she falls in love with a brilliant writer as she makes her way back in time. But what if Nathaniel Hawthorne never wrote The Scarlet Letter? And what if Mia Jacob never found it on the day she planned to die?

Nathaniel Hawthorne wrote: “A single dream is more powerful than a thousand realities.”

This is the story of one woman’s dream. For a little while it came true.

My Thoughts

Here is another gentle, lovely experience from Alice Hoffman who has an uncanny ability to build resilient, evocative female characters with whom I really want to be friends in real life!

Mia is such a complex character who shifts easily between worlds. Hoffman’s imagining of a true timeslip based on books is breathtaking for this lifelong reader/librarian. And what a story she spins here! I was a little skeptical at first because of the Scarlet Letter and Nathaniel Hawthorne connection because my recollection from learning about Hawthorne in school was that he was kind of a jerk, and I have not enjoyed most of his work. I remember being so angry at the injustice while reading The Scarlet Letter when I was teen.

The irony here is that Mia (and her mother) in the present time are far more controlled and restrained by a man than Mia is when she moves backwards in time to Nathaniel Hawthorne’s world. The juxtaposition of Mia’s experiences are startling and evocative.

Hoffman takes the Scarlet Letter premise and successfully applies it to both time periods, effectively demonstrating the destructive power one man can have over a woman but also giving her a way out.

Alice Hoffman is a true treasure of an author. Every single one of her books is a gift. This is one for my bookshelves.

Highly recommended.

Publication Date: August 15, 2023
Published By: Atria Books
Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy

Books About Books, British, Historical, Makes You Think, Reading, Women

The Little Wartime Library by Kate Thompson

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Description

An uplifting and inspiring novel based on the true story of a librarian who created an underground shelter during World War II, perfect for readers of The Paris Library or The Last Bookshop in London. 

London, 1944. Clara Button is no ordinary librarian. While the world remains at war, in East London, Clara has created the country’s only underground library, built over the tracks in the unused Bethnal Green tube station. Down here, a whole community thrives with thousands of bunk beds, a nursery, a café, and a theatre offering shelter, solace, and protection from the bombs that fall above.

Along with her glamorous best friend and library assistant Ruby Munroe, Clara ensures the library is the beating heart of life underground. But as the war rages on, the women’s determination to remain strong in the face of adversity is tested to the limits when it seems it may come at the price of keeping those closest to them alive.

My Thoughts

This delightful book will give you ALL the feelings. Part romance, part mystery, part feel-good story, it’s got everything. Character development is nicely done, and paired with a sometimes startling and lovely descriptive narrative.

The importance of books is underscored here in a more serious side to the story. History has shown us that, in wartime, libraries and books are often one of the first targets for destruction. Books are dangerous to fascists, despots, and tyrants because they contain ideas and stories of the good and the different and the beauty in the human race, which is a threat to those who wish to conquer.

For the people in this story, books were a lifeline to a country and lifestyle they hoped would not be destroyed, and one they desperately wanted back.

A beautiful reminder of the power of story.

Published By: Grand Central Publishing
Publication Date: February 21, 2023
Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy

Books About Books, Makes You Think, Mystery

The Twyford Code by Janice Hallett

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Description

Forty years ago, Steven “Smithy” Smith found a copy of a famous children’s book by disgraced author Edith Twyford, its margins full of strange markings and annotations. When he showed it to his remedial English teacher Miss Iles, she believed that it was part of a secret code that ran through all of Twyford’s novels. And when she disappeared on a class field trip, Smithy became convinced that she had been right.

Now, out of prison after a long stretch, Smithy decides to investigate the mystery that has haunted him for decades. In a series of voice recordings on an old iPhone from his estranged son, Smithy alternates between visiting the people of his childhood and looking back on the events that later landed him in prison. But it soon becomes clear that Edith Twyford wasn’t just a writer of forgotten children’s stories. The Twyford Code holds a great secret, and Smithy may just have the key.

“A modern Agatha Christie” (The Sunday Times, London), Janice Hallett has constructed a fiendishly clever, maddeningly original crime novel for lovers of word games, puzzles, and stories of redemption.

My Thoughts

I’ve been searching for a book that really captures and holds my attention and makes me think about the story and the clues.

The Twyford Code is it.

The firts part of the story is told in the unusual format of transcribed recorded messages which require the reader to pay attention in order to keep to the plot. I did find this a bit difficult to follow at times and thought there could be some editing done, but it all works out in the end.

I can often predict the twist in mysteries, but this one had me completely unsuspecting the action in the last part of the story, which is AMAZING!

This book makes you work – I found myself going back and re-reading passages several times to keep everything straight, and spent a lot of time re-reading parts after I got to the end.

Puzzle aficionados will adore this and I can see book clubs chewing on this one. Very well-done.

The mysterious connection between a teacher’s disappearance and an unsolved code in a children’s book is explored in this fresh novel from the author of the “clever and often wryly funny” novel The Appeal. (PopSugar)

Publication Date: January 24, 2023
Published By: Atria Books
Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy

Books About Books, Fantasy, Horror, Psychological, Women

The Book Eaters by Sunyi Dean

Patricia McDonald Uttaro

Description

Truth is found between the stories we’re fed and the stories we hunger for.

Out on the Yorkshire Moors lives a secret line of people for whom books are food, and who retain all of a book’s content after eating it. To them, spy novels are a peppery snack; romance novels are sweet and delicious. Eating a map can help them remember destinations, and children, when they misbehave, are forced to eat dry, musty pages from dictionaries.

Devon is part of The Family, an old and reclusive clan of book eaters. Her brothers grow up feasting on stories of valor and adventure, and Devon—like all other book eater women—is raised on a carefully curated diet of fairy tales and cautionary stories.

But real life doesn’t always come with happy endings, as Devon learns when her son is born with a rare and darker kind of hunger—not for books, but for human minds.

My Thoughts

So many great debuts this year, but this one STANDS OUT!

Anyone who loves to read will be captivated by this wholly original story centered on the concept of books as actual food, overlaid with what turns out to be a pretty harrowing and fairly dark tale.

This is one the librarians will struggle to genrify – is it fantasy? Horror? Dystopian? Women’s Lit? This spectacular, original story is all that and more. Dean’s writing is some of the best I’ve read this year – tight and descriptive then flowing and expansive – all coming together in a whopper of a story.

Highly recommended.

“A darkly sweet pastry of a book about family, betrayal, and the lengths we go to for the ones we love. A delicious modern fairy tale.”— Christopher Buehlman, Shirley Jackson Award-winning author

Publication Date: August 2, 2022
Published By: Macmillan Tor/Forge
Thanks to Netgalley for the review copy