BEFORE YOU WERE ANNE

5 stars out of 5

Apparently this is the second book in a series and I missed the first, but I’ll say to any other potential readers in the same boat not to jump ship. There were a few things I think I’d have understood better had I started at the beginning – true of just about any series, IMHO – but this follow-up stands alone just fine. Most important, though, is that I really enjoyed reading it.

Japanese-American Chelsey Calhoun is a homicide detective, and she lands in the middle of a case in which a Japanese woman named Ann Walker has been murdered; her 16-year-old daughter, Naomi, is missing, with clues strongly suggesting it wasn’t by her choice. The case triggers unpleasant memories of Chelsey’s own sister’s disappearance (dealt with in the first book, or so I read somewhere). She’s married to a great guy named Noah and is pregnant with their first child, a girl, which she hasn’t yet revealed to anyone else including her partner Montoya.

It doesn’t take long for the investigative team to learn that Anne isn’t really Anne; instead, she’s Rika Takayashi, who ran away from her native Tokyo years ago, apparently while pregnant with her daughter – seemingly to escape an abusive relationship. For a time, she stayed with a friend in Seattle, but after she changed her name, she managed to settle into a new life with Naomi (her name was not changed). Now, though, Naomi is asking questions Rika doesn’t want to answer, like who her father is. Unbeknownst to her mother, she sets out to find him – not realizing what the consequences might be.

The story highlights Naomi’s search for her father as well as what Rika went through to get where she is and, of course, Chelsey’s investigation into her murder. Details I cannot provide without spoiling it for others, but rest assured there are several twists, turns and surprises along the way to an ending that is, for the most part, satisfying.

All told, it’s a book well worth reading, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to tag along by way of a pre-release copy. Well done!

Before You Were Anne by Emiko Jean (Simon & Schuster, September 2026); 320 pp.

BARK HUMBUG

5 stars out of 5

I admit to being a cat person. Those other four-legged critters who bark don’t interest me in the least; I consider them like grandkids – best handed back to their owners after half an hour or so. That said, there’s something about books with dogs in them that’s simply irresistible. And this series, while really focusing on a semi-retired attorney who inevitably gets drawn back into the courtroom, is a great example of the power of the pooch.

This time out, it starts with a devious newspaper photographer, who gets dog lover, advocate and shelter owner Andy Carpenter’s attention by a way of a trick request to join a Christmas celebrity doggie feature. Andy of course takes the bait, only to learn that what she wants is him to represent her brother Jon Lowery, who’s nowhere to be found but wanted for murdering the town mayor and his associate. Andy still swears up and down he’s retired (but after this many books, methinks that he protests too much). After he learns Jon is willing to talk to him with no strings attached, Andy at least agrees to hear him out (made even easier when he finds out Jon has a dog adopted from Andy’s Tara Foundation, named for his own golden retriever).

A meet-up is quietly arranged, but when Andy and his wife Laurie Collins get to the agreed-upon place to meet, they’re accosted by state cops with really big guns. Suddenly, the situation changes – sans any kind of meet-and-greet, Andy really has no choice but to say he’s Jon’s attorney. For Andy, that’s a first; never in his career has he taken on a client with whom he’s never even spoken. All Andy knows is that Jon is a computer science expert (with a degree from Rutgers, near Paterson, New Jersey, where Andy lives and works), and, most notably, he’s an ex-Marine and accomplished sniper.

From that point on, it’s a matter of gathering the investigative team together – and that includes Laurie, an ex-cop – who will collect information Andy needs to defend Jon in the courtroom. The team also includes the usual cast of characters loyal readers have come to know and love. Perhaps the best part for me, though, is that books in this series are serious, but guaranteed to elicit a chuckle (make that quite a few, plus an outright guffaw or two). Sharing any details would spoil things for others, but I will say there’s a surprise ending that’s a doozy.

All told, it’s another totally enjoyable adventure from start to finish, and I heartily thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review it. Since it’s got a holiday slant, it would make a great gift for someone who loves to read while sitting before a cozy fire with a pooch at their feet. Go! Fetch!

Bark Humbug by David Rosenfelt (Minotaur Books, October 2026); 320 pp.

THE DYING LIGHT

4 stars out of 5

There’s no shortage of murder and mayhem in this, the fourth book in the Detective Matthew Venn series, but it touches on the personal as Venn’s husband, Jonathan, is more determined than ever to find his birth mother (he was adopted as a child) and Venn, who turned his back on a religious cult-like childhood to the dismay of his family, finds himself in the middle of a case involving the deaths of teenagers.

As a police detective in North Devon, Matthew is called to an elite residential area and the home of doctor and politician Paul Armstrong and his wife Cath. There, Armstrong’s daughter’s friend Lottie has been found dead in the private swimming pool – and the daughter, Hannah, is missing. An accident? Perhaps, except Lottie was an Olympic swimmer wannabe.

Also involved is farm property not far away, where a concert-like event called “Millsfest” just took place – and that could be the last time Lottie and Hannah were seen together. Also a mystery is that the farm boasts a few remote “glamping” cabins that can be rented; one was by a retired reporter and his wife, with the former reportedly planning a book about Dr. Armstrong. Mysteriously, the couple disappears – and it’s learned that their own daughter, Elizabeth, used to know Hannah and Lottie. Coincidence? Well, when you’re a detective, there’s no such thing.

And so it goes, with Matthew’s investigation – and Jonathan’s search for his birth mother – continues to the end (with a twist that no doubt will carry forward to the next installment, which I hope will come soon). Meantime, I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to once again find out what one of my favorite detectives has been up to.

The Dying Light by Ann Cleeves (Minotaur Books, September 2026); 384 pp.

THE FRENCH ILLUSION

5 stars out of 5

Well, this is a bit of an unusual situation – I’m not sure whether I’m happier to have read and finished this intriguing, edge-of-seat story or the expectation that there’s another one (or two, or three or more) in the making? The latter isn’t a certainty, but since it’s billed as “The French Illusion #1,” logic tells me a #2 will follow.

Anyway, it took a while for them to show up, but I already love leading man Stuart Nash and his “future wife,” Rae-Claire Russo – even though, contrary to almost every other book I’ve read by this author, there’s no courtroom action. Nash is an ex-military man and an assistant U.S. attorney in North Carolina, though, and the soon-to-be dynamic duo “accidentally” meet each other at a cybercrime seminar in Washington, D.C.

Behind the scenes – at least the public ones – Paul and Chelsea Tanner head for Paris for their honeymoon. It’s a dream come true, till it turns into a nightmare for the couple and both sets of parents when they go missing – and said parents get ransom calls from what appears to be a network of criminals asking for millions. The money isn’t a huge issue for Chelsea’s parents – dad is an orthopedic surgeon who is financially savvy – but it’s beyond hope for Paul’s less financially well-off mother and father. And of course, all are warned not to tell anyone what’s going on, especially law enforcement.

As the story progresses, readers see what’s happening from the points of view of both the parents and the victims – and, down the road a bit, of the FBI and CIA, which agree to hold hands for once in an effort to shut down what appears to be a long-running and highly successful operation. Enter Nash and Russo (nope, not gonna explain how that came to pass), and from that point on, the action never stops – and neither did my reading about it.

All told, it’s edge-of-seat exciting, and I hope we’ll be seeing this pair again. Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review this one!

The French Illusion by John Grisham (Doubleday, September 2026); 352 pp.

DIE FAMOUS

4 stars out of 5

I’ve read a couple of this author’s books and a short-story collaboration (appropriately titled “Short Story”) with Karin Slaughter, but all those were several years ago so my experience isn’t recent. But the premise sounded intriguing – and I’ve never had a bad book from this publisher – so I requested a pre-release copy at NetGalley and here we are. And once again, it was an enjoyable experience overall.

It was, though, a bit difficult to “get into” – mostly, I guess, because of what actually makes the story work as well as it does: frequent switching of perspectives of three different characters. You have Savannah Cody, the mother of Alford; the father of that child, Edward “Nickel” Terhune, who’s on the run as part of the Brady Gang, wanted Bonnie and Clyde-style bank robbers; and Alford (undoubtedly the most sympathy-generating among the three).

The main theme is that Savannah decided, as she tells an interrogator after the fact, that Eddie – the now most-wanted man she loved and who still loves her – needs to die, and she’ll be the one to do the dirty deed. But even the FBI can’t find Eddie, who was the Brady gang’s getaway car driver – so how can she?

Actually, she knows something others don’t: there’s a place in the United States Eddie dreamed of – and Savannah shared that dream. When push comes to shove, then, she’s convinced that’s where Eddie would head next – or die trying. The question is, by whose hand?

I wish I could be more specific, but that would ruin the story for others. As I mentioned earlier, there are a few too many backward jumps to suit my style, but they do get the job done in the end with a few twists and quite a few turns along the way. Well worth a read, and I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to tag along on the journey by way of a pre-release copy.

Die Famous by Michael Koryta (Little, Brown and Co., September 2026); 415 pp.

IT’S NOT WHAT YOU THINK

4 stars out of 5

This story started off on such a sad note that I don’t think I ever fully recovered despite a satisfactory ending under the circumstances. It’s a murder mystery, yes, but it seems more about racism than just following a trail to find whodunit.

Nadeeka Prasanna, a Pakistani divorcee with two young daughters, is living with James Golding (Jamie) with hopes for a bright future together. But seemingly out of the blue, Jamie begins to act strangely like her ex; not so strangely, Nadeeka begins to suspect he’s having an affair. One day, she’s pretty sure she can catch him in the act and makes a beeline for their residence. She’s surprised, all right, but in the worst way; Jamie, the love of her life, has been murdered right in their living room. Police are everywhere, one of whom, Detective Inspector Burton, politely asks that she turn over her phone and laptop, saying it will be returned soon. Shortly thereafter, she’s relieved to find those same police have thoroughly cleaned up the entire mess and restored some semblance of order.

Unable to return to her home despite the clean-up, Nadeeka stays with her former mother-in-law, with whom she remained friendly. And her mind wanders wildly; is it possible Jamie was at home with his new lover – when she called him on the phone, she’d heard a female voice, after all? And why had he brought home – and put away in a drawer - a photo of him, her and the girls that he’d had on his desk at work?

Hearing nothing from Burton about her electronic devices after several days, she visits the police station to ask if she can have them back. Here, she gets yet another shock: according to the desk clerk, no such detective is employed here and – even more puzzling – they have no record of Jamie’s murder. Nadeeka is turned over to Detective Lauren Caldwell, head of the Major Crimes Unit; she and her lower-grade partner, Fraser Hogan (also Lauren’s significant other and near-future husband) will be taking over the case. But investigation won’t be easy since those phantom police thoroughly cleaned up the crime scene, destroying any real or potential evidence.

What they do find, though, is both confusing and deeply upsetting to Nadeeka. Jamie worked for a company involved with brownfield development; police learn the firm’s head honcho deleted some of Jamie’s files, raising significant questions. But more disconcerting is what they learn about Jamie himself; could it be that he isn’t the loving, accepting partner Nadeeka believes in her heart of hearts that he is?

The answer to that and other weighty questions is for other readers to find out; suffice it to say there are more than a few twists as the investigation progresses and a whopper at the end. The whole thing was a bit heavy on the political aspect, but I’ll give that a pass just because it really is an important issue. And the story itself is well-written enough to grab my attention and hold it throughout (actually, that part came as no surprise; I’ve read five of this talented author’s other books and enjoyed every single one). Many thanks to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to read and review a pre-release copy.

It’s Not What You Think by Clare Mackintosh (Sourcebooks Landmark, September 2026); 413 pp.

ONE SPLIT SECOND

5 stars out of 5

Seattle police detective Tracy Crosswhite has come a long way since I met her 11 books ago (My Sister’s Grave, 2014). Back then, her mission was to find out what really happened in the disappearance of her sister, Sarah. Fast-forward to this latest book, when Tracy – long since married to attorney Dan O’Leary and with a five-year-old daughter - works exclusively with cold cases.

But it’s a new case that has caught her attention this time; her old friend, Sheriff of Klickitat County Jennie Almond, has just been charged with the murder of local military veteran Anthony Alvarez, who apparently suffers from PTSD. Jennie swears Alvarez had a gun, but evidence – including a gunshot from another angle – tell a different story.

Tracy is sure her friend is innocent, but proving it is another issue entirely. Since she’s so familiar with cold cases now, this one reminds Tracy of one Jenny’s late father was involved in as a police investigator something like 45 years earlier. At that time, a teenage babysitter disappeared, and the prime suspect was – you guessed it – the man Jenny is charged with killing. Jenny’s father, though, always believed Alvarez was innocent.

From that point on, chapters shift from the time of the babysitter’s disappearance to the present, as Tracy tries to connect the dots and her husband prepares to defend Jenny in court. Helping out is young autistic girl Lydia, who has become a friend of Tracy’s because of her shooting and video game skills. She is, BTW, an interesting character whom I suspect readers will be reading more about in upcoming installments – and to which I’m looking forward.

The rest of the book follows Tracy’s investigations of both past and present – the latter of which put her in more than a bit of danger – and Dan’s very capable defense of their friend. Of course, I can’t provide details without spoiling things for other readers, but I can say thank you to the publisher, via NetGalley, for the opportunity to catch up on the latest happenings in the life of a favorite character. Well done once again!

One Split Second by Robert Dugoni (Thomas & Mercer, September 2026); 387 pp.