KILLER VIBES

4 stars out of 5

I admit it. A “debut” novel – even if that means the first in what’s hoped to be a series – makes me nervous. I guess that, at my advanced age, I’ve read too many that just, well, to put it as nicely as possible, fell flatter than a fritter. And I admit, I was a bit edgy going into this one.

Happily, I needn’t have been worried here. I not only enjoyed reading it, but I’ve found another series to look forward to. The main character, Peter Theodore Key, is interesting, intriguing and a guy whose invitation to join him for a beer and conversation at a local pub I’d accept in a heartbeat. He’s a half-hearted Texas-based private eye who enjoys smoking a joint or two now and again, and when it comes to sex, he’s a switch-hitter (though he seems to have more of an affinity for the guys).

Quite unexpectedly, an estate attorney shows up one day to inform him that his recently-deceased Uncle Forrest – whom he barely knew – has left him a house in Austin that’s worth millions. But the millions are elusive because his uncle’s debts are equally substantial; on the positive side, although the house itself can at best be described as a total mess, everybody and his or her brother and sister seem to want to buy it (and incessantly insist that he sell). Problem is, the more information Peter gathers, the more he’s unwilling to part with the property. That’s especially true when he learns that his late uncle – clearly a hoarder – may have a stash of cash that he really, really could use. Problem is, some unsavory characters – including his late uncle’s own son – would love to get their hands on it as well.

Along the way he meets quite a few interesting characters – including his uncle’s estate lawyer and a seasoned private detective who will play a significant role in Peter’s future. Coming from a much older generation, I can’t quite get into his man-bun thing, especially when it seems to need readjusting every half hour or so (but hey, maybe they all do – what does an old lady like me know)? Other than that, though, he’s an intriguing character I look forward to reading about again in the next installment. Meantime, I heartily thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for letting me in on the action by way of a pre-release copy. Well done!

Killer Vibes by Jack Friday (Minotaur Books, July 2026); 352 pp.

THE COUNTRY ROAD MURDERS

5 stars out of 5

Once in a while, you run across a book that is so good you not only don’t want to put it down, but you can't even fathom starting to read another one – and it happened for me with this one. It pulled from me just about every emotion, from an occasional chuckle to actual tears in my eyes (and it takes an act of Congress to make me cry). It started off interesting but a little slow, perhaps, but then the story (and impeccable writing thereof) kicked in, and I was totally engrossed the rest of the way. Without doubt, this one of the best books I’ve ever read.

The story’s narrator is Silas Tucker, a superstar football player at a rather backwoods school where his father was principal. A decade earlier, the elder Tucker was murdered, the killer still unknown; he never lived to see his son get drafted by an NFL team after a stellar college career. But as they say, man makes plans and God laughs; suddenly, Silas’s life as he knew it is gone – maybe forever – and he returns home to try and build a new life.

His little town of Cross Rivers, North Carolina, though, has longstanding issues – most notably that even the local leaders are terrified by the so-called “Southern Mafia,” consisting primarily of members of the particularly nasty Crockett family. The town also is known far and wide because in the short span of a few months, five young girls from the community have gone missing (and another one goes down even as Silas drives back home).

Silas relies on a couple of his besties from years past, including Taylor McCarter Webb (nee McCarter; she’s now married to a local police officer who is another of Silas’s best friends. Silas tools around doing farm work, and then the father of one of the missing girls asks him to help find her. Though reluctant, he decides to pitch in.

It’s here that the action really picks up, and it’s where mine in the form of a review shuts down; there’s nothing more I can say without revealing too much (and it’s way, way too good to not let other readers experience it for themselves). The story is suspenseful, emotional and absolutely riveting, right down to the final page. A stellar effort for sure, and I offer a big THANK YOU to the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to read and review a pre-release copy. Now please – pre-order a copy (or reserve one at your library) and read it for yourself – you’ll see!

The Country Road Murders by James Patterson and Mike Lupica (Little, Brown and Co., July 2026); 416 pp.

THE QUIET KILL

4 stars out of 5 

This is described as a standalone thriller, but it seems to me to have all the makings for the start of a series. That would make me happy because I found the main character, police detective Jamie Day, to be quite interesting. To be sure, I enjoyed this one, although I’d describe it as gritty and sexually explicit.

The year is 1987, and the “star” of the show, Jamie Day, is a police detective who’s just come to West End London Central Police from a relatively quiet seaside town. Not only must he learn to navigate a huge city with which he’s unfamiliar, his first day on the job, the 22-year-old runs smack dab into a dead body – one that’s been chopped up in pieces, no less. Worse, more dead bodies turn up in relatively short order – a clear sign a serial killer is having a gay old time.

Readers follow Jamie as he finds housing, works on not getting lost in and around the city and on the developing relationships with department co-workers (some decent, others a bit shaky, at least at the start). In between those chapters are those that focus on the victims and the killer, so readers know what’s going down long before Jamie and his team get a clue.

Things work out in the end in a way that, as I mentioned before, hints at more to come – so I’ll be watching to see if that happens. Meantime, I thank the publisher, via NetGalley, for allowing me to get in at the beginning by way of a pre-release copy. Thoroughly enjoyable!

The Quiet Kill by Robert Bryndza (Raven Street Publishing, July 2026); 390 pp.