Flash Point

I received a free copy of this spy thriller from Librarything's Early Reviewer's Club and I am so glad that I did. It's suspenseful and feels a little like sci-fi alongside a spy thriller. There is much to like about this story. It was recently published on June 16, 2026 and with 404 pages, the book qualifies for the Big Book Summer Challenge.

The publisher's summary:

The experiment succeeded. That was the problem. Former Tier 1 operator Grayson Maddox thought he'd left the battlefield behind. Now he's leading a classified physics project at Oak Ridge National Laboratory.

Then the sabotage begins. A mysterious outage cripples his lab. An armed intruder targets his assistant. A bomb detonates outside a briefing he just left. Someone knows exactly what Maddox's team has discovered—and they're moving with lethal precision to stop it.

On the run, he turns to the only people he trusts: his former Unit teammates.

But even CIA safe houses aren't safe. Somewhere, there's a leak, and two rival factions are closing in. One wants the discovery. The other wants it buried forever—and Maddox along with it. To survive, Maddox must become the operator he thought he'd left behind. Because if RIFT falls into the wrong hands...

the next battlefield won't be a country. It will be reality itself.

This futuristic story begins on April 7, 2046. The main character, Grayson Maddox, wears a watch that self heals and the wristband has a camera, opens maps, has a holographic projector and is a virtual medic that tells him how to treat his injuries. Grayson refers to a truck built in 2046 as being old. Also, the Indo-Pacific War that took place in the early 2040s is referenced. In addition, AI controls everything from air vehicles to emergency responses. Despite these futuristic references, DARPA is still in business. Some of the science is beyond my ability to understand but this did not prevent me from understanding the plot. I will say one more thing about science. A quote from Jacques Cousteau is given before the first page of the story. I love it. Cousteau states that the root of all evil is science. Not money. With this idea now in my head I began reading.

There was plenty of action and adventure in the story. Grayson is constantly on the move. His groundbreaking physics research has been attacked by an unknown entity, forcing him and his assistant Mari to go into hiding. The story melds physics with espionage and military components. It is fast paced and extremely suspenseful. The NSA, CIA, Army and private firms all want to know more about Grayson's discovery and are competing to obtain it. The author did a great job combining all these elements into a story. I would rate his ability to compose a decent plot as well as that of Brad Thor or Dan Silva. However, the characters are pulling the story down. They are one dimensional. The reader does not know much about them other than what jobs they hold. It would be better to know something about the characters private lives as well as how they grow in each installment of this series. In addition, there are characters whose names are a number. I found it hard to follow One, Two, Three and Four. 

All in all, Flash Point was a captivating read. With time, this author is going to break out as one of the best spy thriller writers of our time. 3.5 stars out of 5 stars.

Corpse de Ballet

I love attending the ballet so when I saw this book on Kindle I had to get a copy. It is a psychological thriller in a graphic novel format. Corpse de Ballet was published about a month ago in July 7, 2026 and it is magnificent. The book is author Megan Kearney's first solo graphic novel.  

The publisher's summary: 

Arriving at Saint Anselmus in the middle of the year, Rosamund Hammond is ready to practice hard and prove she deserves to be there. But something at this boarding school doesn’t feel right. It turns out that just before Rosamund enrolled, a student disappeared without telling anyone. Was it really a leave of absence―or something more sinister? Together with her new roommate, Rosamund spirals deeper and deeper into an obsession with the truth. As the school prepares for its showcase performance of Coppélia, can she commit to her hard-earned ballet dreams while solving the mystery that’s haunting her―or will she lose herself in the process?

As I stated above this graphic novel is a psychological thriller. However, it is a light psychological thriller. There are no dramatic chapter endings but rather we see the main character Rosamund spiraling downwards throughout the story. Her roommate Eugenie tells her a tale about Eugenie's former roommate Giovanna dying at the school which is not true but Rosamund doesn't know this fact. Rosamund is led to investigate Giovanna's murder.

Each chapter begins with a ballet pose, first position, second position, etc. . . I thought this was a nice touch by the author who, incidentally, is not a dancer. All of the drawings are colored in blue and white, a color scheme I like. It reminded me of Do Admit, a biography of the Mitford sisters. The characters are multidimensional. All of them have secrets in their past they try to cover up. None of these secrets are all that important but to a teenager desiring to be a star ballerina, they are extremely important. The dancers fear anything negative in their past will prevent them from having good careers. 

Our heroine Rosamund began studying at the school just one semester from high school graduation. She feels inferior for several reasons. One, the other students whisper about her being a late scholarship award winner. In Rosamund's mind, she agrees with them. She also has to work harder in order to catch up with the level of the other students. While Rosamund is talented, she needs plenty of instruction. Her roommate, Eugenie, is a bitch who isolates Rosamund by encouraging her to stay away from the other students because, well, they are bitches. Eugenie is a fantastic villain. She has no problems with lying all day and every day. She is Rosamund's best friend until the time comes for the senior showcase performance where future careers are on the line.

Throughout the story we read about the Coppélia ballet story on and off. I thought this was a nice hook for the story. It was an engaging story that I thoroughly enjoyed. 5 out of 5 stars.

The Emperor of Seville

The Emperor of Seville is the second book in Matthew Carr's Bernardo de Mendoza Mysteries. The series features Spanish magistrate Bernardo de Mendoza as the investigator of crime in 16th century Spain. The crime in this installment of the series is the trade of Peruvian gold to Spain.

The publisher's summary:

Summer 1586. When the Genoese banker Sandro Grandoni is murdered at a trade fair in the Castilian town of Medina del Campo, the Valladolid Chancery appoints the magistrate Bernardo de Mendoza to conduct the investigation. The murder takes place at a delicate political moment. King Philip II is preparing to invade England, and the Crown is negotiating a new loan with the House of Grandoni to help finance the invasion. While the king and his ministers await the arrival of the imperial treasure fleet in Seville, one of Grandoni’s partners is murdered on the banks of the Guadalquivir. Anxious to eliminate any obstacles to the ‘enterprise of England’, Philip sends Mendoza to Seville to see if the murders are connected.

Accompanied by his restless ward Gabriel, and a charismatic poet named Miguel de Cervantes, Mendoza travels to the violent, vice-ridden imperial city that sixteenth century Spaniards called ‘the Great Babylon.’ Mendoza soon finds himself entangled a bewildering web of intrigue and corruption, that extends from the Indies to the Seville streets. In an unfamiliar city where no one can be trusted, Mendoza is forced to seek the assistance of his turbulent cousin, Luis de Ventura. Mendoza’s task is further complicated, when his lover Elena unexpectedly arrives in the city with an Italian theatre group.

Throughout the sweltering Andalusian summer, Mendoza follows the trail of deaths, as the search for justice becomes a struggle for survival, in which no one’s life is guaranteed.

The book is an excellent murder mystery. I unfortunately didn't understand the many Spanish words that the author used. Initially I looked them up in a dictionary but got tired of that after awhile. I had to re-read some pages as I kept becoming bogged down in all the titles of the characters as well as all the different locations in Spain. It was difficult to remember who was who. While I missed all the setting descriptions, there was still a good mystery that carried the novel for me. 

That said, I enjoyed reading about how banks in the 16th century conducted business. It was interesting to learn about kings being bankrupt and needing loans to conduct war against their enemies. It was odd, though, how little it took for a nation to feel aggrieved against another nation. The kings and queens mostly did not use diplomacy but went straight to war threats. 

The investigation that Mendoza conducted into the murders was spot on. Mendoza is an astute man who makes for an amazing investigator or judge as his title was in the story. He is a great sleuth for the series. 

While I selected this book for it's setting and era, I was unprepared for reading about it. Please note that I received a free copy of this book from Librarything's Early Reviewer's Club in exchange for an honest review. It was published on December 11, 2025.

3 out of 5 stars.

My Tokyo Summer

My Tokyo Summer is a sweet story that celebrates creativity, culture and friendship. Written by Abby Denson, the book is a graphic memoir of her trip to Tokyo in 1997 to meet her pen pal Yuuko. Both love comics and they decide to write and illustrate a comic of their own. The book was published last month on July 7, 2026.

The publisher's summary:

Abby lives in the United States and loves comics, zines, and punk music. Yuuko lives in Japan and loves manga, American movies, and creating art. When Yuuko visits New York City and sees a comic that Abby made, she writes a letter to Abby and they become pen pals. Later, Abby takes the opportunity to enroll in a summer university program in Japan, and the two girls get the chance to meet in person. What follows are charming and funny adventures in Tokyo as Abby and Yuuko explore the city together. Things get even more exciting when they decide to combine their talents and make a comic to sell at Comiket, one of the largest comics conventions in the world. This will be an extraordinary summer of life-changing friendship!

I loved this story. It was written for kids aged 12 and up so there are no sexy scenes, violence or foul language. Abby’s culture shock mirrored my own during a recent trip to Japan. I can honestly say that her experiences are authentic. A few examples of Abby’s cultural experience include a trip to Senkaido, the biggest stationery shop in Tokyo. The illustrations of the shop had me groaning with jealousy. She also learns how to order in a restaurant, order food from vending machines and from street vendors. Abby visits a few shrines and remarks on the excessive number of steps involved and is able to buy train tickets and board trains thanks to a Japanese language class she took back home in New York City. 

Abby and Yuuko collaborated together on a comic. The two worked well together and I'm going to attribute that to their youth. It seemed easy enough to have it copied in Tokyo. Yuuko's part included cut and pasting images she drew from gray sheets. I don't believe that this type of printing is available in the U S. I had never heard of gray sheets before. Some have the backgrounds already drawn so that the creator can fill in the characters and lettering. Others allow the artist to add gray highlights to their page.

Abby’s visit was 100% positive. This surprised me. She never got lost orhad money issues, although she had help from Yuuko on days they were together. Not much was told about the drawing class that Abby took but I guess it didn't fit in with the plot. I was also surprised by Abby’s attire. She dressed in overalls and had her hair pulled back in pigtails. This didn't seem plausible for a college student.

The story was inspired by Abby’s real life experiences in Tokyo and with Yuuko. Both characters are actual people who have kept up their friendship over the years. The language barrier and cultural differences did not prevent them from becoming lifelong friend. The drawings were done by Utomaru whom Abby has collaborated with before. They were colored with bright colors that would appeal to kids. 

I cannot recommend this memoir more highly. It's a fun and fast read. 5 out of 5 stars.

Can't Wait Wednesday #51

This weekly meme is hosted by the Wishful Endings blog. The meme spotlights the books that we are excited about but have yet to read. Generally, they're books that have yet to be released.

This week I want to feature John Grisham's upcoming book The French Illusion. In this novel Grisham departs from his usual legal thriller genre and presents a suspenseful story about a honeymoon gone wrong. 

The main characters are Paul and Chelsea Tanner. They have just celebrated their wedding but after arriving in Paris they are kidnapped while on a day trip to the French countryside. The search for clues soon stretches across borders, with the FBI, CIA, and French Intelligence trying to work together to put the pieces of the puzzle together. In an effort to find answers, a young lawyer is recruited to be the bait in an elaborate CIA operation.

It sounds like this is a spy thriller given the involvement of the international agencies. I am looking forward to reading it. The book will be published on September 30, 2026. 

24 Hours to Forget

24 Hours to Forget is Filipe Silva's third novel. It has an intriguing plot premise where a woman wakes up every day with no memory of the day before. One day she finds a note in her own handwriting that states “DON'T TRUST HIM." She realizes that she is living with someone who may be manipulating her. 24 Hours to Forget is an ebook with 104 pages. It was published on April 16, 2026. 

The story opened with our main character waking up and smelling coffee made by her husband Daniel. Our main character is a lady with severe amnesia. She is not given a name by the author. Odd. She knows not to trust Daniel and isn't sure that he is really her husband. She has been reading her notebooks of memories but later realizes that he is changing them. This tells me she remembered prior days and didn't lose her memory every 24 Hours.

The premise for the book is good. It was not executed well. Each chapter tells us something new about her but there was no action in the story. It would have been nice to read that someone was on her side and fighting for her, that there was a sinister reason for her amnesia for a character to reveal. There are only two characters, not enough to build a story. It's just our lady of amnesia and her generic, no personality husband Daniel. Daniel never expresses any emotion. He is flat.

Please note that I received a free copy of this book from Librarything's Early Reviewer's Club in exchange for an honest review. 

No rating.

Matcha on Monday

Matcha on Monday is a collection of Japanese short stories. It was published in English on July 7, 2026. These snippets of Japanese life are not like American short stories where there is a mystery to solve. There is no whodunnit, howdunnit, or whydunnit in them. Rather, the process the characters go through to becoming more whole is the point. These stories are interconnected and one character will reappear in another. There is one story for each month of the year. Matcha on Monday is the second book in the Marble Café series.

The publisher summarizes the book: 

Across a bridge in a quiet neighborhood in Tokyo, a charming little matcha café – open only on Mondays – offers a beacon of light and healing to all who pass through its doors. All throughout the week, customers flock to the Marble Café that’s tucked away behind the trees – except when it’s closed on Mondays, when the Matcha Café opens in its place, offering its clientele a warm cup of matcha and restoration to start the busy week ahead. On this one day of the week, people from all walks of life frequent this cozy haven and experience the joys of human connection. Among them include: a singer who has just broken up with his lover, an unsociable young owner of a tea wholesaler, a husband who has made his wife angry, a designer and owner of a lingerie shop and a Kamishibai artist who doesn't get along with his grandmother. This heart-warming story takes place in Tokyo and Kyoto over twelve months, bringing together a community of untold unfolding lives – all starting with a cup of matcha.

The first story is Matcha on Monday where the Marble Café hosts a one time matcha event on the day they are normally closed. As a matcha lover, it is my favorite. A woman who is having a bad day is a regular customer. However, she ends up at the cafe by mistake on a Monday and is asked whether she wants her tea thin or thick. Not knowing what that means she rationalizes that thicker is better so she orders it. It was awful. She is then informed that it would go down better if she had a bite if the accompaning sweet. It tasted much better. Her bad day continues but she meets a man who will later become her husband.

Another favorite is Sparrows in Early Spring. The main character is a seamstress who opens a lingerie shop upon finishing fashion school. I thought it was unique for her to select lingerie as the focus for her shop, Peep Bird. As a seamstress myself, I learned what fabrics and thread worked best for constructing lingerie. I loved reading about her stitching the under garments. The guitarist/customer will appear in another story where she recounts shopping here.

I enjoyed the easygoing, cozy atmosphere of the stories. While the book is light reading, each story is character-driven and something profound happens to their way of thinking about themselves. They are each approximately 8 pages long. I also think the book cover is magnificent. It's the reason I picked up the book in my local bookshop. Having read similar Japanese books I knew it would be a relaxing read, which it was.

5 out of 5 stars.

Tempered For Murder

Tempered for Murder is a cozy culinary mystery. It is the first book in the new Zuvaara Chocolate Murder Mystery series. Tempered for Murder is the debut novel by Puja Satiani. It features former lawyer Salena Sharma as the amateur sleuth who traded her career as an attorney to operate a chocolate business called Zivaara. Unfortunately, she found herself investigating a murder that is connected to her new life. This delightful novel was recently published on March 13, 2026. 

The story blends the world of artisanal chocolate with a murder mystery. We read about Salena navigating her professional ambition alongside her grief over a former legal colleague who was murdered. Dominic Gray was Salena's mentor at the law firm she worked at, Sutcliffe and Chase. He was shot inside his house. Although she left the firm a year ago, Salena maintained close ties with her former colleagues. Through them Salena gathers information about Dominic that could help her discover the whodunnit and the whydunnit. Salena's best friend Tara Jacobs offers advice along the way on areas where Salena might focus her investigation. They are a practical sleuthing duo.

Additional characters include Tara's husband Paul and their kids Natalie and Sydney. Dominic's wife Amy, his neighbors Marty and Suzanne, culinary colleagues Vic and Maggie, and his nosy neighbor Edith round out the secondary characters. The business name Zivaara means "best life" in ancient South Asian languages. Salena has based her entrepreneurship on her beloved grandfather who always encouraged her to study and learn how to think. He did not want her to rely on a man or money but to focus on her mind and hands.

The setting is a Washington DC suburb called Fairview, more specifically the setting is high-powered Washington DC. I am familiar with this town which made my enjoyment of the story that much better. The pace is fast and I was hooked into the story from the first page. The first sentence grabbed my attention: "The flecks of salt on the dark chocolate caramels shimmered under the lights, each caramel looking flawless and self-assured." Other favorite sentences include this one on page 98: "She poured the chocolate into a mold with twelve square cavities, tapped the mold to help the chocolate settle, sprinkled caramelized cacao nibs over each cavity, and tapped it again." Page 100 gives us "Next on Salena’s list was milk chocolate ganache. She heated the cream and other ingredients, then poured the warm mixture over the milk chocolate pistoles. As she stirred, the ganache gradually turned smooth and shiny." My taste buds are longing for chocolate but back to the story, each chapter ended  with suspense that kept me reading. In fact, I finished reading this book in one sitting.

This first book of the series gives us well rounded characters and an interesting setting that offer a plethora of possible future stories for the series. The author is a former attorney who became a chocolatier. The premise for the series is based upon her life experiences. Please note that I received a free copy of this book from Book Sirens in exchange for an honest review.

5 out of 5 stars.

The Doctor in the Corner Clinic

The Doctor in the Corner Clinic: The Room Was Never the Mystery is the second book in the author's Corner Room mystery series. I received a free copy of this book from Book Sirens in exchange for an honest review. I can honestly say though that this is a wonderful locked room mystery. The book was published on April 22, 2026.

The publisher's summary:

Dr. Ashok Kulkarni is found dead inside his locked clinic. Gun in hand. Door bolted from the inside. An open-and-shut suicide, the police say. Inspector Praveen Kumar is not convinced.

Ashok was a celebrated cardiologist, a Padma Shri recipient, and one of Bangalore’s most trusted doctors. But as Praveen retraces the final months of his life, he uncovers a burned letter, a growing fear, and a secret powerful enough to destroy more than one life.

What begins as a locked-room death soon turns into something far more dangerous: a search through buried relationships, quiet betrayals, and truths hidden behind respectability. As the case deepens, Praveen finds himself drawn into a mystery where every answer raises a darker question, and where the cost of the truth may reach far beyond the dead. Because the room was never the only thing that was locked.

The story opened with Dr. Ashok Kulkarni receiving a visitor while he worked late at night in his office. The visitor climbed the outside wall leading to Kulkarni's office on the third floor. He then made a demand on behalf of Jaya to which Kulkarni complied but stated this was the last time. The next chapter begins with the discovery of Kulkarni's body the next morning. He had been shot.

Inspector Praveen Kumar is assigned to investigate the death. It was quickly determined to be a suicide but Praveen had a hunch that there was much more to the incident. He continued looking into the death by interviewing friends, family and a few patients of Ashok. Some of the characters did not seem to be telling the truth but Praveen did not know where to turn in the investigation. 

In addition to being an engaging locked room mystery, I would also describe the book as a psychological thriller because the deceased's life seemed to hold the keys to the suicide. Unfortunately, no one who knew him had any idea of what had upset Ashok enough for him to want to die. Ashok had a perfect life. He had a wonderful career as a cardiologist, an intelligent wife and two happy kids. Why would he want to die?

The story had a swift pace with several twists. As Praveen discovered secrets about relationships in Ashok's life he thought that each of these relationships held the key. However, they all were dead ends and Praveen had to start over from scratch several times. The plot kept me guessing through all of the layers of family and professional secrets in the Kulkarni family. 

I enjoyed reading this novel and am rating it 4 out of 5 stars.

August Armchair Travel Plans

Next month I will continue to read books about the founding of the U.S. as well as catch up on my TBR list. Keith Smith's An American Patriot is about a Revolutionary War soldier. The Secret Wife of Aaron Burr by Susan Holloway Scott concerns the obvious, American Princess is about Alice Roosevelt Longworth, 355 is about the female spies that General George Washington used, and Rachel Khong's Real Americans gives us the twenty-first-century reality of an immigrant assimilating into American society.

A few mysteries are also in my reading plan. Through Net Galley I have two books: Tempered for Murder is a culinary cozy mystery featuring chocolate and The Doctor in the Corner Clinic is a locked room murder mystery. I received a free copy of 24 Hours to Forget from Librarything's Early Reviewer's Club. It’s a short mystery with only 104 pages.

As far as traveling outside the American shores I plan on reading Eve Chung's The Young Will Remember (China), Hooked by Asako Yuzuki (Japan), The Emporer of Seville (Spain) and Tokyo Express (Japan). So far, I am planning to read 12 books. If I have time, and it's a big if, I would like to read more Japanese novels. 

So. . . . . where are you traveling to next month?

Book Cover of the Month: July

I love the image of this Asian lady on the cover of Daughters of the Sun and Moon. She is wearing old fashioned clothing which I believe is much nicer than that worn since the Communist takeover of China.

The background pink color accentuates the colors of the lady's garment. The name of the author is in a lighter pink shade and the book title is in ecru. I am always attracted to this type of color pallette.

The book cover design was created by Jaya Miceli. She is the Senior Art Director at Scribner Books, an imprint of Simon and Schuster. She tends to design book covers with a bright pallette. Miceli earned a BFA in Illustration at the Parsons School of Design. 

Book of the Month: July

The writing team of Stephanie Dray and Laura Kamde have produced several historical fiction accounts of women during the American Revolution War era. All of them are fantastic reads including their latest book A Founding Mother. This novel is about Abigail Adams. She was the wife of President John Adams and the mother of President John Quincy Adams. 

I have read many book about this family over the years. This particular book was based upon research into Abigail's voluminous letters to her family and friends such as Thomas Jefferson, George Washington and Alexander Hamilton. The authors were able to see the largest number of her letters to date. While I already knew alot about Abigail Adams before reading this book, there is information about her life that was new to me. I am thrilled with the book.

I believe Abigail Adams was the most influential woman of that era. The relationships between her and the Washingtons and Jeffersons was complicated because her husband was frequently at odds with others. However, I wasn't aware of how intertwined their friendships were. The political differences between them only surfaced after the end of the Revolutionary War. There were many differences in opinion on how to form a new government as well as how to govern.

The book was published on May 5, 2026, just in time for the 250th Anniversary of the birth of the United States. If you aren't familiar with this lady, I highly recommend this book. It's an enjoyable read. 

Captivating Character of the Month: July

It should be obvious who my captivating character of the month is. It's our sixteenth president Abraham Lincoln! I have been captivated by this man ever since I can remember and have read many books about him over the years. For most of the twentieth century the only biography of Lincoln that was available was written by Carl Sandburg. Everyone I know LOVED that book. Then came David Herbert Donald's biography; another fantastic book that everyone in my sphere read and discussed. In the past two years several additional books have been published. John Cribb's The Rail Splitter, Lincoln's Lady Spymaster by Gerri Willis, Courting Mr. Lincoln by Louis Bayard and Jon Meacham's And There Was Light. All of these books were phenomenal. Also, a biography of the Booth family, Lincoln's assassin, was published by Karen Fowler. It seems that even today we cannot get enough of Honest Abe.

This month I read The Rail Splitter, Lincoln's Lady Spymaster, Courting Mr. Lincoln and Booth. I have learned about different aspects of Lincoln's life from each of them. The Rail Splitter gives more information about his childhood. The Lincoln family moved often and after the death of his mother, the baptist church greatly influenced him. From the church he gained his abolitionist views. Courting Mr. Lincoln tells us about his attraction to Mary Todd. This book shows me how ahead of his time Lincoln was. Mary Todd was the daughter of a wealthy man and you would expect her to have many suitors. However, she was too forthcoming in giving her opinions on politics which turned off many men. Lincoln was different though. He not only enjoyed listening to her but needed her expert political strategy in order to get elected to all of the offices he held. Their marriage was a political union. In Booth we learn that most of the family liked Lincoln. John Wilkes Booth didn't and assassinated him. And There Was Light revealed the depths of depression to which he succumbed. The book tells us that there were seven events in Lincoln's life that made him suicidal. While I knew he suffered depression I had no idea that his friends and family had to watch over him to prevent Lincoln from killing himself. How odd that history records that his wife is the one who is mentally unstable.

I can never get enough of reading about this man. Having grown up in Illinois, my education about Lincoln began in kindergarten. I am probably going to re-read Sandburg and Donald's biographies fairly soon and perhaps it's time for a visit to the Lincoln Library in Springfield, IL.