The Housemaid is Watching

The Housemaid is Watching is the third book in the Housemaid trilogy and it's just as wonderful as the first two.  Its a psychological thriller with yet another twisty finish that surprised me. The story takes place ten years after the first novel and Millie Calloway returns with husband Enzo and their two kids. 

The publisher's summary: 

“You must be our new neighbors!” Mrs. Lowell gushes and waves across the picket fence. I clutch my daughter’s hand and smile back: but the second Mrs. Lowell sees my husband a strange expression crosses her face. In that moment I make a promise. We finally have a family home. My past is far, far behind us. And I’ll do anything to keep it that way…

I used to clean other people’s houses—now, I can’t believe this home is actually mine. The charming kitchen, the quiet cul-de-sac, the huge yard where my kids can play. My husband and I saved for years to give our children the life they deserve.

Even though I’m wary of our new neighbor Mrs. Lowell, when she invites us over for dinner it’s our chance to make friends. Her maid opens the door wearing a white apron, her hair in a tight bun. I know exactly what it’s like to be in her shoes. But her cold stare gives me chills…

The Lowells’ maid isn’t the only strange thing on our street. I’m sure I see a shadowy figure watching us. My husband leaves the house late at night. And when I meet a woman who lives across the way, her words chill me to the bone: Be careful of your neighbors.

Did I make a terrible mistake moving my family here? I thought I’d left my darkest secrets behind. But could this quiet suburban street be the most dangerous place of all?

Millie and Enzo have two nosy, annoying neighbours. Suzette Lowell cannot stop flirting with Enzo and Millie is jealous. The neighbor across the street, Janice, is the neighborhood spy. She spends the entire day and night looking in everyone's windows with her binoculars. The Lowells have a maid, Martha, with Thursdays open and Suzette talks Enzo into hiring her even though the Accardis cannot afford it. 

Millie and Enzo have two kids, eleven year old Ada and nine year old Nico. Ada is quiet but Nico has tons of energy. Millie repeats several times that she is obsessed with her new house and that the mortgage payments are too high for her to pay. She also has quite a few internal thoughts about her husband maybe cheating on her. Why repeat these two items?  It seemed unusual for McFadden to repeat any information in a novel. It felt odd as I was reading. In addition, Millie's usual housemaid activities are not written into this novel. It made me confused until the ending. 

Who was the villain?  There were a few possibilities. Suzette, Janice and Martha were the characters I was thinking about. The identity of the whodunnit wasn't revealed until the ending but all three characters were suggested throughout the story. 

I had a few issues with the writing.  The formula used in the prior two books in the series was not followed. This reduced the suspense factor during my read. While the ending tied up all of the loose ends, it was not as shocking as the earlier novels. Unfortunately, I have to reduce my rating of the book to 4 out of 5 stars.

Honey in the Wound

. 

Honey in the Wound is the debut novel of Jiyoung Han. The story is about a Korean family confronting the brutality of the Japanese empire. The Japanese occupied Korea and parts of China during this era. It's an epic tale of five generations of one family. It was published on April 7, 2026.

The publisher's summary:

A sister disappears and returns as a tiger. A mother’s voice compels the truth from any tongue. A granddaughter divines secrets in others’ dreams. These women are all of one lineage—a Korean family split across decades and borders by Japanese imperialism.

At this saga’s heart is Young-Ja, a girl who infuses food with her emotions. She revels in her gift for cooking, nourishing the people she loves with her cheerfulness. But her sunny childhood comes to an end in 1931 when Japanese soldiers crush her family’s defiance against the Empire. Young-Ja is cast adrift, her food turning increasingly bitter with grief. When a Korean rebel fighter notices her talents, however, she is whisked off to Manchuria to join a secretive sisterhood of beautiful teahouse spies. There, Young-Ja finds a new sense of belonging and starts using her abilities for the resistance. But the Imperial Army is not yet finished with her…

Decades later, Young-Ja lives alone in Seoul, withdrawn from the world until her Tokyo-born granddaughter Rinako bursts into her life with the ability to see into dreams. In cultivating a tentative bond, they confront the long-buried past in a stunning emotional climax.

As an unforgettable family perseveres in the long shadow of colonialism, Honey in the Wound transports readers to mountain forests where tiger-girls stalk, to Manchurian teahouses and opium dens where charming smiles veil secrets, and to the modern metropolises of Tokyo and Seoul where restless ghosts stir. This debut novel is a tender yet powerful multi-generational drama that shines light onto the twentieth century’s darkest corners and gives voice to those who bore witness.

I found writing my review of this book was difficult. So much happened that I didn't know where to start. It's an emotional story for sure and I felt that my emotions were overwhelmed. Heart-wrenching is the best word to describe the book. The story centers on Young-Ja, whose ability to cook her emotions into food was her superpower as a youth. This is where the magical realism joins the plot. When her family was executed by Japanese soldiers, Young-Ja ran and hid. She was lucky to survive but her overwhelming grief made her susceptible to corrupt men. Right after Young-Ja's family passed away, she was found unconscious near a lake. A barren couple took her in and treated her as their own. Young-Ja stayed with them for several years but when the husband began sexually assaulting her during the night, the wife gave her to a man who offered Young-Ja a fantastic job in China. 

The job was not fantastic. Young-Ja was forced to work long hours in a tea house kitchen in the northern area of Korea.  However, she thrived there and was promoted to hostess in the tea rooms. She and her fellow hostesses and servers listened to conversations that Japanese soldiers had among themselves. This information was given to people in the resistance movement. After nine years, the Japanese arrested the tea house owner and burned it to the ground. Unfortunately, Young-Ja ended being kidnapped and taken to Manchuria to be a comfort woman for Japanese soldiers. Her life gets even worse.

This is a sad story but realistic for the time and place. The author did a fine job writing about this unknown event in history. She showed how horribly the Koreans were treated by the Japaneses soldiers. Young-Ja's life affected me deeply. I mourned with her every time something bad happened to her. 

All of the characters were well developed. Young-Ja's grandparents had an interesting backstory. I loved reading about them. Her grandmother Myoung-Ok toiled as a farmer. When Myoung-OK eventually married Dahn, who was considered a giant by the villagers, she left her agrarian existence and moved to the mountains with him. There they gave birth to twins. Geum-Jin married Song Jung-Soon even though she had a facial disfigurement. They raised several children including Young-Ja. Their story was also intriguing and one of the best parts of the book. 

While Honey in the Wound is a good book, I don't know if I should recommend it. It made me sad for about a week after I finished reading. Who wants to deal with that! My rating of 5 out of 5 stars reflects the fantastic research that went into the story as well as the writing of this saga.

The Porcelain Maker's Daughter

The Porcelain Maker’s Daughter is a historical romance novel that is based on a true story about a sunken ship. The Tec Sing (True Star) was a large three mast Chinese junk that sank in 1822. It contained a massive cargo of porcelain and 2,000 people. Only 200 survived.

The publisher's summary:

Southern China, 1822. Looking to marry her off to a wealthy Indonesian merchant, Cheng Yafang’sfather arranges for her voyage aboard the Tek Sing—the largest trading vessel ever to sail the South China Sea. For Yafang, the second daughter in a family of master porcelain artists, there is no greater honor: a way to safeguard her family business and secure her future. But as she boards the mighty ship containing hundreds of thousands of her family’s finest porcelain, her heart—and the ship itself—harbors a secret that defies generations of tradition.

From a young age, He Zuyao was raised to hate the Chengs. After decades of rivalry rooted in their mastery of the art of porcelain-making, their disdain had grown into a bitter feud. But when he sees Yafang accosted by robbers on her way home, Zuyao doesn’t think twice before risking his life to defend her. Despite their heritage, Zuyao and Yafang vow to marry each other—a love that blossoms in the most unexpected of places.

But after Zuyao discovers her arranged marriage, their vow is pushed to a breaking point. When disaster strikes the He household and a legendary Guanyin statue is stolen, Zuyao follows its trail to the Tek Sing. Hoping to find the lost family heirloom and reunite with the woman he loves, Zuyao stows away on the ship. As the Tek Sing departs, a tragedy unfolds in the shadows of its bow. And even if they make it to the new land—can they really sacrifice their families’ honor for something as lowly as love?

Based on the true story of the “Oriental Titanic,” The Porcelain Maker’s Daughter is a moving, unputdownable saga. An immersive historical experience surrounding one of the greatest tragedies of 19th-century China.

While the book was enchanting, it was a slow read. I can't put my finger on what was the problem. I only know that I could only read it in small doses and then I started reading other books, always returning to this one. The story has a Romeo and Juliet plot. Yafang is the main character. She was born into a family of master artisans and carried both the weight of expectation and the burning desire to only marry if she was in love. She was normally quiet, respectful and reserved but could scream at her father when he discussed her future marriage to a wealthy man that she never met. Yafang was known in her community as trustworthy. I found her to be very sympathetic. Her boyfriend He Zuyao had a similar personality. They made a great couple but the He family was not rich. Also, the He and Cheng families had a long standing feud that could not be disrupted. It would anger the ancestors so the plot is definitely the Chinese version of Romeo and Juliet. 

The backdrop of their families being master porcelain artists was interesting to read about. I wish that there had been more of it. The descriptions of clay, firing, painting, and the translucent glazes are outstanding. These details serve not just as setting but also symbolically reflect Yafang's own internal transformation. She is fired by life challenges, shaped by relationships, and finally emerges as something beautiful.

As in real life, the Tec Sing sank in the novel, killing 1800 people. The number of people who died was 300 more than those who died on the Titanic. Most of the characters in the beginning of the story were on the ship. Some were saved, others weren't. If you want to know if your favorite character survived, read the book.  

It's nice to read a story about characters who pursue goodness and kindness. I enjoyed the story tremendously and am rating it 4 out of 5 stars.

The Housemaid's Secret

Millie Calloway returns as a maid in this sequel to The Housemaid. She takes a new job working for the wealthy but mysterious Douglas Garrick. Millie has been told to not disturb his wife Wendy who stays locked in a guest room supposedly sleeping.

The publisher's summary:

As he continues showing me their incredible penthouse apartment, I have a terrible feeling about the woman behind closed doors. But I can't risk losing this job – not if I want to keep my darkest secret safe . . .

It's hard to find an employer who doesn't ask too many questions about my past. So I thank my lucky stars that the Garricks miraculously give me a job, cleaning their stunning penthouse with views across the city and preparing fancy meals in their shiny kitchen. I can work here for a while, stay quiet until I get what I want. It's almost perfect. But I still haven't met Mrs Garrick, or seen inside the guest bedroom. I'm sure I hear her crying. I notice spots of blood around the neck of her white nightgowns when I'm doing laundry. And one day I can't help but knock on the door. When it gently swings open, what I see inside changes everything....

That's when I make a promise. After all, I've done this before. I can protect Mrs. Garrick while keeping my own secrets locked up safe. Douglas Garrick has done wrong. He is going to pay. It's simply a question of how far I'm willing to go....

An unbelievably twisty read that will have you glued to the pages late into the night. Anyone who loves The Woman in the Window, The Wife Between Us and The Girl on the Train will be completely hooked!

The writing formula for this sequel is exactly the same as in The Housemaid. For me, this is a plus and it is what I wanted and expected. The mystery surrounding wife Wendy is the focus of the story. I enjoyed following the small reveals concerning Wendy's situation throughout the book but felt that Millie's early attempts at intervention were not called for. Wendy's situation did not change enough for Millie to need to intervene. That said, it was proper for the plot to have Millie try to intervene early and often. I wish, though, that something more severe than shouting would have alarmed Millie to take action. 

Despite my above misgivings, there was a slow ratcheting up of the tension in the story to keep me riveted to my read. There were many twists and turns that maintained my interest and some of these twists involved the characters having ulterior motives. It was hard to tell where the story was going when none of the characters seemed trustworthy.

In this installment of the series Millie has a boyfriend. Brock is an attorney who wants Millie to move in with him. She prefers to stay independent even though Brock's apartment is luxurious. When Millie gets arrested for killing Mr. Garrick he dumps her. Of course, Millie did not kill anyone. She's the heroine so I knew that she would be exonerated. What Millie does not know is that her former boyfriend Enzo is back in the country and has been following her. She had believed that someone affiliated with the Garricks was stalking her. It goes without saying that the ending was shocking. It is something McFadden's readers both expect and receive.

I loved this story. It is a wonderful sequel to The Housemaid and I am looking forward to reading the third and final book in the series.  4 out of 5 stars.

The Housemaid

The Housemaid has been on my TBR list for a few years. I finally got around to reading it last week and I hope to soon finish the four additional books in this Housemaid series. 

The publisher's summary:

Every day I clean the Winchesters’ beautiful house top to bottom. I collect their daughter from school. And I cook a delicious meal for the whole family before heading up to eat alone in my tiny room on the top floor.

I try to ignore how Nina makes a mess just to watch me clean it up. How she tells strange lies about her own daughter. And how her husband Andrew seems more broken every day. But as I look into Andrew’s handsome brown eyes, so full of pain, it’s hard not to imagine what it would be like to live Nina’s life. The walk-in closet, the fancy car, the perfect husband.

I only try on one of Nina’s pristine white dresses once. Just to see what it’s like. But she soon finds out … and by the time I realize my attic bedroom door only locks from the outside, it’s far too late.

But I reassure myself: the Winchesters don’t know who I really am.

They don’t know what I’m capable of …

Our protagonist is housemaid Millie. Millie was recently released from prison and is having a hard time finding employment. She is a convicted murderer. A week after being interviewed for a job as housemaid for Nina Winchester, Millie gets the good news that she has been hired. The job is a live-in situation and Millie can finally move out of her car. From her first day on the job Millie senses that it was a mistake to accept the position. That same day the landscaper tells her the house is dangerous.

Nina is a classic psycho. She messes up the house on purpose so Millie has more to clean. It was mean-spirited. Nina also accused Millie of misinterpreting her instructions on a daily basis. I thought Nina was the villain but nothing is that easy to decipher in a Freida McFadden book. I wondered what was wrong with her but it wasn’t until the end that I realized what was really going on.

Andrew, on the other hand, is Nina’s debonair, handsome husband. He is always calm and pleasant. Andrew makes excuses for his wife's behavior and supports her fully. No one in the neighborhood knows why he puts up with her. Landscaper Enzo is hotter than hot. He generally dismisses any conversation that Millie starts. For one reason, he speaks Italian and does not know many English words. The Winchesters have a young daughter Cecelia who is just as demented as her mother. Cecelia makes Millie's life even more miserable.

There are too many twists and turns to describe. Nothing and no one is who they seem to be. I believe there was a new twist in every other chapter. This made for a super fast pace. I read that this book was made into a movie but I didn't see it. I am definitely going to watch it ASAP as this plot is amazing. 

To say the ending is shocking is a putting it mildly. I recently learned that the author is a psychiatrist in her day job. I can only imagine that she gets her material from her clients. Otherwise, how does she come up with these plots?  5 out of 5 stars!

Dear Debbie

Dear Debbie is Freida McFadden's newest novel. It was published on January 21, 2026 and I must say it was fantastic. Debbie writes an advice column for a local newspaper similar to the Dear Abby columns I read while growing up. However, Debbie has a screw loose. No, ten loose screws.

The publisher's summary:

Debbie Mullen is losing it. For years, she has compiled all of her best advice into her column, Dear Debbie, where the wives of New England come for sympathy and neighborly advice. Through her work, Debbie has heard from countless women who are ignored, belittled, or even abused by their husbands. And Debbie does her best to guide them in the right direction. Or at least, she did.

These days, Debbie’s life seems to be spiraling out of control. She just lost her job. Something strange is happening with her teenage daughters. And her husband is keeping secrets, according to the tracking app she installed on his phone. Now, Debbie’s done being the bigger person.

She’s done being reasonable and practical. It’s time to take her own advice.

And now it’s time for payback against all the people in her life who deserve it the most.

When the story began Debbie was frequently featured at social events with friends. Nothing untoward was obvious. She attended a monthly book club with neighbors who lived on her block who openly disparaged her lack of class and higher education. Debbie desperately wants to fit in and accepts this mistreatment as necessary to endure. Later these friends begin to ridicule her intense behavior behind her back. They gossip about rumors that she spent a few months in a psychiatric hospital. Debbie’s next door neighbor Brett then accuses her of breaking into his basement and destroying his fuse box because she complained to the police about his loud music. Brett screams at her and later her husband Cooper every chance he gets.

Debbie has a beautiful garden and it is going to be featured in a local magazine. However, when the photographers don't show up she learns that the magazine canceled the photo shoot and were instead going to feature a neighbor's garden. Jo is known for having the best roses in the community. Debbie feels that Jo sabotaged her shoot and after midnight she plants beetles in the dirt of Jo's garden. By morning the beetles were all over the flowers and the photographer refused to take photos. Of course Jo blamed Debbie and Jo publicly screamed at her several times.

Most of the chapters begin with drafts of her column wherein she suggests that the complaining women kill their husbands. Debbie’s actions are slowly revealed but her duplicity is not known to the reader until the halfway point. Debbie is always calm. Her friends and neighbors are shown as explosive. 

Following the garden incident, we see Debbie plotting revenge on other neighbors as well as her husband's boss. The boss refused to promote Cooper and, in a huff, he quit his job. She also sought revenge on her daughter's soccer coach for removing her from the team. At this time Debbie was fired from her job as an advice columnist for suggesting a wife kill her husband. 

Debbie is clearly nuts. I enjoyed reading about her unraveling. Frankly, I loved some of her vengeance because these characters definately deserved it. It's interesting to note that Debbie is both the protagonist and the villain. This works though. 

Dear Debbie is a nother great McFadden novel. I am rating it 5 out of 5 stars.

The Emerald Affair

The Emerald Affair is the first book in The Raj Hotel trilogy by Janet MacLeod Trotter. The series is about four friends from Scotland, Esmie, Lydia, Tom, and Harold, who move to India following WWI. With 545 pages, it is 5 pages shy of being a chunkster.

The publisher's summary:

In Scotland in the aftermath of the First World War, nurse Esmie McBride meets handsome Captain Tom Lomax at her best friend Lydia’s home. Esmie is at first concerned for Tom’s shell shock, then captivated by his charm, but it’s effervescent Lydia he marries, and the pair begin a new adventure together in India.

When marriage to Tom’s doctor friend Harold offers Esmie the chance to work in India, the two sets of newlyweds find themselves living wildly different lives on the subcontinent. Esmie, heartbroken but resolved, is nursing at a mission hospital on the North West Frontier. Lydia, meanwhile, is the glamorous mistress of the Raj Hotel, where Tom hopes his sociable new wife will dazzle international guests.

As Esmie struggles with her true feelings for Tom and the daily dangers of her work, Lydia realises the Raj is not the centre of high society she had dreamed of. And when crisis strikes both couples, Esmie faces a shattering choice: should she stay the constant friend she’s always been, or risk everything and follow her heart?

The Emerald Affair is a story about life in Ralwalpindi, India in the 1920’s. The setting isn't described in too much detail which I was expecting. The fears that the British had of the natives becoming violent was about the only aspect of the setting involved in the story other than the insufferable heat and humidity. Both couples had marriage difficulties which was basically due to marrying fast, marrying the person you were expected to marry and not marrying the person they were in love with. As with all British Raj novels there were plenty of sexual affairs.

Esme is the heroine of the book. She is overly conscientious and devoted to her job as a nurse. Her husband Harold is even more married to his job as a physician. Harold has intimacy issues that Esme cannot figure out and she is unhappy in the marriage. Esme's best friend Lydia is the complete opposite. Lydia loves partying. One social event per day is not enough for her. She wants to be socializing from morning to midnight. Since Lydia's husband Tom spends most of his time trying to develop his new hotel, there is alot of conflict between them. 

It took me three reading sittings to finish the novel. This is highly unusual for me. While I enjoyed the story, the pace was a little slow. I am going to rate the book a 3.5 out of 5 stars 

We'll Prescribe You Another Cat

This book is the sequel to We'll Prescribe You a Cat. These books offer four short fantasy stories about people in emotional pain. They find a mental health clinic while out walking around and step inside to ask questions. At the entrance to the Kokoro Clinic for the Soul in Kyoto they meet an irritable nurse who states the doctor had a cancelation and can see them immediately. After telling the doctor what's bothering them they are prescribed a cat to take home for ten days. 

The publisher's summary:

Though it’s a mysteriously located clinic with an uncertain address, it can always be found by those who need it. And the clinic has proven time after time that a prescribed cat has the power to heal the emotional wounds of its patients. This charming sequel introduces a new lovable cast of healing cats, from Kotetsu, a four-month-old Bengal who unleashes his boundless energy by demolishing bed linens and curtains, to tenacious and curious Shasha, who doesn’t let her small size stop her from anything, and the most lovable yet lazy cat Ms. Michiko, who is as soft and comforting as mochi.

As characters from one chapter appear as side characters in the next, we follow a young woman who cannot help pushing away the man who loves her, a recently widowed grandfather whose grandson refuses to leave his room, the family of a young woman who struggle to understand each other, and an anxious man who works at a cat shelter seeking to show how the most difficult cats can be the most rewarding. This moving, magical novel of interconnected tales proves the strength in the unfathomable bond between cats and people.

The book is about a Kyoto psychiatrist who prescribes a cat to every patient as a unique form of therapy for people with life problems. The prescription is always for ten days after which the cat must be returned to the doctor. This sequel is a little different as the patients are given cats with special medical needs. Food and litter are dispensed at the clinic along with a log that the patients must fill out every day with their cat's progress. The stories showcase the healing power of animals with a touch of fantasy thrown in for good measure. When the return to the clinic the logs are read by the doctor and he always says the patients did a good job taking care of the animal.

As the summary above states, only people in deep emotional pain can open the door to the clinic and this is where the fantasy comes in. Not everyone can see the alleyway where the business practice is located. Each cat has a litter box issue to be resolved and it is always about their poop mixed in with the litter. Ya'll know what that's like, right?  The real identity of the doctor and nurse are revealed in the last chapter. I was not expecting this surprise but it was a pleasant surprise.

This book was a delightful read, a perfect end to the stressful day I had. If you love cats, you will love it. 5 out of 5 stars.

Eight Perfect Murders

I am so impressed with this novel. The plot premise concerns a blog post written by a bookstore owner wherein he listed eight crime novels with perfect, unsolvable murders. The owner becomes a suspect in several murders where it seems that a killer used this book list to recreate unsolvable murders.

The publisher's summary: 

Years ago, bookseller and mystery aficionado Malcolm Kershaw compiled a list of the genre’s most unsolvable murders, those that are almost impossible to crack―which he titled “Eight Perfect Murders”―chosen from among the best of the best including Agatha Christie’s A. B. C. Murders, Patricia Highsmith’s Strangers on a Train, Ira Levin’s Deathtrap, A. A. Milne's The Red House Mystery, Anthony Berkeley Cox's Malice Aforethought, James M. Cain's Double Indemnity, John D. MacDonald's The Drowner, and Donna Tartt's The Secret History.

But no one is more surprised than Mal, now the owner of the Old Devils Bookstore in Boston, when an FBI agent comes knocking on his door one snowy day in February. She’s looking for information about a series of unsolved murders that look eerily similar to the killings on Mal’s old list. And the FBI agent isn’t the only one interested in this bookseller who spends almost every night at home reading. The killer is out there, watching his every move in a twisty cat and mouse game―a diabolical threat who knows way too much about Mal’s personal history, especially the secrets he’s never told anyone, even his recently deceased wife.

To protect himself, Mal begins looking into possible suspects . . . and sees a killer in everyone around him. But Mal doesn’t count on the investigation leaving a trail of death in its wake. Suddenly, a series of shocking twists leaves more victims dead―and the noose around Mal’s neck grows so tight he might never escape.

As with all Peter Swanson books  I was hooked from the first page. If there is one word to describe the plot it's Hitchcockian. That's a word, right? Swanson delivers this thriller with tantalizing clues and a shocking ending. Also, I am impressed with the idea that someone is nutty enough to duplicate so-called "perfect" murders in mystery novels.

Malcolm's relationship with FBI agent Gwen Mulvy was a little off. She interviewed him in the beginning of the story and told him her entire theory of her case. That was odd. What was odder was that Malcolm decided to get in her car wjen he didn't have to and drive to the murder scene of one of his bookstore's big customers. It was strange that she asked and strange that he agreed to go with her in her car. Wouldn't most people drive separately given a choice? Their conversation in her car was bizarre. Malcolm revealed alot about himself and his deceased wife. I felt he was indirectly telling Gwen that he had reason to kill his wife. She did not take the bate though.

The big reveal of the whodunnit was a slow burn. Into the second half of the book the details began to be revealed. I didn't catch the clues until later in the story. Eight Perfect Murders is a suspense thriller on steroids. Mystery lovers simply must read this book. I am rating it 5 out of 5 stars.

Little Eve

Little Eve won the Shirley Jackson Award for Best Novel and also the British Fantasy Award for Best Horror Novel. After reading author Catriona Ward's phenomenal Last House on Needless Street last year, I placed all of her books on my TBR list. Little Eve was published in 2022.

The publisher's summary:

A great day is upon us. He is coming. The world will be washed away.”

On the wind-battered isle of Altnaharra, off the wildest coast of Scotland, a clan prepares to bring about the end of the world and its imminent rebirth.

The Adder is coming and one of their number will inherit its powers. They all want the honor, but young Eve is willing to do anything for the distinction.

A reckoning beyond Eve’s imagination begins when Chief Inspector Black arrives to investigate a brutal murder and their sacred ceremony goes terribly wrong.

And soon all the secrets of Altnaharra will be uncovered.

Oh my goodness. This story is freaky. For the first third of the book I wasn't sure what was happening. I thought that Uncle, an older man "taking care" of six girls, might be a cult leader. He seemed to be promoting a snake god. After several chapters I determined that I was correct but the reasons why were not clear until the story progressed. Where the girls came from was also unclear. I thought he was stealing them from families but the truth is worse. The girls, Alice, Evelyn (Eve), Dinah, Nora, Elizabeth, Rose and a boy named Abel were kept by Uncle in a dilapidated old castle and were not allowed to mingle with other kids. A few of the kids that they knew from school were Sarah Buchanan and Jamie MacRaith. Several of the girls were infatuated with Jamie. He was cute and had a sunny disposition. Sarah taunts the girls one day and she pays a huge price for it. We read in the beginning that all the girls are missing an eye. No information is given on how that came about until the ending. It was scary and very graphic.

Little Eve begins with the discovery of a ritualistic murder on a Scottish isle during WWII. The woman who discovers the bodies and the woman who supposedly murdered them serve as narrators for the rest of the story. Some of the horror elements include the kids becoming used to handling snakes and being thrown into the Wane when they do not follow the rules. That was awful. The police begin investigating the group after a man is killed. Detective Black visits the castle several times but can't get the full story because the girls and Uncle constantly lie to him.

Little Eve is a fascinating read. I loved it and recommend the book. 5 out of 5 stars.

American Han

American Han was written by Lisa Lee. When I first noticed the book I thought Lisa See was the author. See is one of my favorite authors and I had high hopes for the read. Unfortunately, I didn't care too much for the story. The book was published a few weeks ago on March 31, 2026.

The publisher's summary:

Growing up in the San Francisco Bay Area in the 1980s, Jane Kim and her brother, Kevin, dutifully embodied the model minority myth as their parents demanded: both stellar tennis players and academically gifted, they worked hard to make their parents proud. Jane went on to law school. Kevin came close to becoming a professional tennis player. But where they started is nowhere near where they have ended up: Jane has stopped going to her law school classes, and Kevin, now a policeman, has become increasingly distant. Their parents, each on their own path toward the elusive American Dream (their mother hell-bent on having the perfect house and the perfect family, their father obsessed with working his way up from one successful business to the next), don’t want to see the family unraveling. When Kevin goes missing, no one recognizes his absence as the warning sign it is until it erupts, forcing them all to come to terms with their past and present selves in a country that isn’t all it promised it would be. Both deeply serious and wickedly funny, American Han is a profound story about striving and assimilation, difficult love, and family fidelity. A searing portrait that challenges assumptions about the immigrant experience, Lisa See’s debut introduces a powerful new voice on the literary landscape. 

Not much happened in the first hundred pages. It primarily consisted of dialogue between Jane and her mother with her mother talking like a stereotypical Korean mother. It got a little old after awhile. I don't believe that it was necessary to have that much Korean conversation for the reader to understand how Korean mothers think and speak. That said, I would describe this novel as atmospheric concerning the Korean immigrant experience. While atmospheric stories do not interest me, it might interest other readers.

The rest of the book wasn't much better. There are chapters showing her father trying to assimilate but never getting it right. Many chapters were about Jane's brother Kevin and these were intense. In the first half all we hear about Kevin is how much better than Jane he was. However, Kevin had problems with rage. He flunked out of college and wandered aimlessly. Eventually Kevin got a job as a police officer. Four months into the job he was filmed beating and kicking a homeless man and then shooting him in the head. He was on the news every day for months. The man survived and Kevin returned to his job.

The title was curious. I don't know what han means but it must relate to the problems of Korean immigration. I feel that this background on the family could have been the setting for a mystery or historical fiction novel. Having to read 276 pages showing the dysfunction in the family was not enough for me.

2 out of 5 stars.

The Star of Ceylon

The Star of Ceylon is the first book in a trilogy by Clare Flynn. It's an atmospheric novel about forbidden love and is set in the last days of the British Raj. The book was published in May 2025.

The publisher's summary: 

Ceylon, 1906: Stella Polegate steps off the ship in Colombo harbour, her heart beating with contradictory emotions. As her father’s unofficial research assistant, she’s thrilled to explore this island of ancient temples and verdant tea plantations—yet painfully aware that her brilliant mind will remain uncredited, her academic ambitions dismissed simply because she is a woman.

When her father’s doctoral student makes unwelcome advances that escalate to violence, Stella’s carefully ordered world shatters. With her reputation and future hanging in the balance, she finds an unexpected ally in Norton Baxter, a principled young civil servant whose growing disillusionment with colonial rule mirrors her own questioning of societal constraints.

As Stella navigates the suffocating expectations of colonial society, she must make an impossible choice. Should she accept the limitations imposed upon her gender or fight for the academic future she deserves? And can she trust Norton with her damaged heart when every man in her life has sought to control her destiny?

From the misty highlands of Kandy to the bustling port of Colombo, Stella’s journey becomes a defiant quest not only for love but for something far more elusive—the freedom to become the author of her own story.

What I loved most about the novel was the rich setting in Ceylon, now known as Sri Lanka. As I was reading I could feel the oppressive heat and humidity of this island as well as the cultural traditions of the natives. I also loved the descriptions of the temples with their impressive architecture and colors. The names attached to the temples were funny such as the Temple of the Sacred Tooth Relic. The scent of incense and flowers in the air completed this dreamy setting. 

Into this exotic place, Englishman Norton Baxter arrives. He is completely focused on his career as a civil servant but is always being pulled aside by the the government agent's spoiled and overbearing daughter, Cynthia Metcalfe, who wants to marry him from first look. Norton’s job included witnessing floggings, hangings and gathering witness statements for divorce hearings. He is horrified by the penal code and considers it barbaric while all of the other English men and women just take it in stride. They believe that they are superior people. One lady has a different viewpoint. Stella Polegate has accompanied her anthropologist father and brother Ronald to Ceylon as they research differences between the north and south Tamil people. Ronald is a bum and lives off of his father’s wealth. Stella wants to study anthropology on her own at Cambridge University. As a woman that is nearly impossible. Women were not lawfully allowed to be given degrees although in rare cases they could attend classes. When she meets Norton there is an easiness between them. However, Stella’s father wants her to marry his official research assistant Gordon Blackstone. He believes that the only way for her academic research to reach an audience is under her husband’s name. Additional characters include Norton’s new friend Paul Carberry. He is a happy go lucky tea planter. His roommate Bertie Frobischer completes the main characters. 

There is a sexual assault in the story. If this will upset you please note that it isn’t described in much detail. The era normally forced women to marry their attacker which infuriated me. The thought at the time was that the woman was sullied and had to marry the first man who took her virginity. The idea was to protect women.

In this first book of the trilogy the author has set up her story for the future. There are well developed characters, an interesting setting and tension between the characters and the native populace. The story can only grow from this foundation.

3.5 out of 5 stars.

Cleopatra

Saara El-Arifi's Cleopatra is the third historical fiction account of Cleopatra's life that I have read in the past month. Many of the characters were already familiar to me when I opened the pages of this book. While the storylines are similar, all three books are different. In this particular novel Cleopatra is the narrator. Her political skills are focused upon instead of her seductive behaviors. The novel was published in February 2026. 

The publisher's summary:

YOU KNOW MY NAME, BUT YOU DO NOT KNOW ME.

Your historians call me seductress, but I was ever in love's thrall.

Your playwrights speak of witchcraft, but my talents came from the gods themselves.

Your poets sing of my bloodlust, but I was always protecting my children.

How wilfully they refuse to concede that a woman could be powerful, strategic, and divinely blessed to rule.

Death will silence me no longer.

This is not the story of how I died. But how I lived.

The story is a memoir, but told by Cleopatra while she is in the afterlife. She has been dead for over two thousand years and is aware of the lies told about her over the millennia. I thought this was an intriguing perspective for the author to write from. Much of Cleopatra's narration refutes what historians have said about her, that she was a nymphomaniac. Of course, the male historians would say that. Cleopatra instead tells us how she chose her strategies for success. While she slept with Caesar and Marcus Antonius, we see how she used them for political gain. Truth be told, she did nothing that wasn't for her gain. 

The opening scene of the book was on the day that Cleopatra became queen. She was still a teen but immediately knew how to behave as a queen as well as how to remain as queen and pharoah. Her father taught her well but it seemed that she was born for her future role. Perhaps that's more guessing on what she was like but for a woman to succeed at being pharaoh Cleopatra must have had the goods to hold onto power as long as she had. That's impressive. 

The novel included Cleopatra's relationships with her siblings. In this retelling of her life we read that she loved her brothers and sister and thought they loved her in return. She was generous to them. When each of them tried to take the throne away from her she was stunned. Eventually she had them killed. The only problem she had was her sister Arsenoe. Arsenoe made several attempts to dethrone Cleopatra. After each loss Arsenoe kept coming back. Cleopatra never agreed to execute her until after the third attempt. I loved her villainous character. Arsenoe was awesome. The author's creation of the brothers characters showed them to be weak with no political skills and easy to depose. 

The ending gives us a different perspective on how Cleopatra's life could have ended. I must say that the author was imaginative with her plot. The book was a fantastic read. I believe all readers will love it too. 5 out of 5 stars.

Daughter of Blue City

Daughter of Blue City is a sequel to Mother of Red Mountains which I read and reviewed last month. It is a historical fiction novel that takes place in post-Revolution China and continues the tale of the Zhou family into the next generation.

The publisher's summary:

How do you survive when the world you know is at war with itself? In the unyielding chaos of China's Cultural Revolution, young Lianlian's life is a constant battle against family violence, public shame and brutal poverty. Raised by a resilient mother and anchored by her little sister, she learns to endure, but with a family fractured by divorce a future seems impossible.

When the political climate finally shifts and the nation scrambles for direction, Lianlian discovers her most powerful weapon is her mind. With few options left, she fixates on a single hope: a chance at a university education. Fueled by sheer will and the quiet support of her mother, she fights for her spot at a top university, seeing it as the one true path to building a life of her own.

When the prior book ended, Lianlian's mother Jun was struggling to work and take care of her kids. Lianlian was probably two or three years old. I cannot remember. Mother of Red Mountains ended abruptly and I expected that the sequel would continue her story. However, Daughter of Blue City begins with Lianlian in middle school. The book is Lianlian's story, not Jun’s. She attends the top school in her community and hopes to attend high school and then university. Lianlian's grades were so high that she was later accepted into Peking University which was the best in China. Most of the book centers on Lianlian's educational achievements and her hopes for a top job.

Lianlian and her sister Shanshan grew up in Hohhot, Inner Mongolia which is in northern China. Hohhot is known as the blue city because of its intense blue skies. We read about how their lives were affected by politics. The author does not give us a narrative of the historical events but rather writes how the Zhou family mourned the deaths of Zhou Enlai and Mao Zedong. As the politicians changed educational possibilities for the common people, Lianlian benefited and was allowed to try for higher education. Of course, as the top scoring pupil in Hohhot her possibilities were enormous and she applied for acceptance into the top three universities. Lianlian and her sister Shanshan were very close. Shanshan insisted on accompaning Lianlian everywhere. She was not interested in making friends with kids her own age.

As an admirer of all things Chinese, I couldn’t put the book down. The plot was riveting and the Zhou family characters were adorable. It would be nice if there was a third novel, maybe highlighting Shanshan or Lianlian's life after university. 5 out of 5 stars.

Japanese Gothic

Japanese Gothic was just published on April 14, 2026. It is a horror story interwoven with Japanese mythology. This dual timeline novel is about two people who live centuries apart but discover that there is a door connecting their worlds.

The publisher's summary:

October, 2026: Lee Turner doesn’t remember how or why he killed his college roommate. The details are blurred and bloody. All he knows is he has to flee New York and go to the one place that might offer refuge—his father’s new home in Japan, a house hidden by sword ferns and wild ginger. But something is terribly wrong with the house: no animals will come near it, the bedroom window isn't always a window, and a woman with a sword appears in the yard when night falls.

October, 1877: Sen is a young samurai in exile, hiding from the imperial soldiers in a house behind the sword ferns. A monster came home from war wearing her father’s face, but Sen would do anything to please him, even turn her sword on her own mother. She knows the soldiers will soon slaughter her whole family when she sees a terrible omen: a young foreign man who appears outside her window.

One of these people is a ghost, and one of these stories is a lie.  Something is hiding beneath the house of sword ferns, and Lee and Sen will soon wish they never unburied it.

I found the beginning to be slow reading. It consisted solely of the inner dialogue of the main character Lee Turner. There was too much of it. It would have been nice to have more action to maintain interest in the book. The next few chapters gives us more of the same from the character Sen. 

There is something about the writing style that turned me off but I can't quite put my finger on what that is. I feel the book fell flat. I never became interested in the story. It was not gothic nor horror as it was advertised to be. It neither is a traditional historical fiction story which is what I expected. In general, I was underwhelmed by the book and DNF'd it. 

No rating.

Mirror, Mirror

Mirror, Mirror is a 2004 novel by Gregory Maguire that retells the Snow White fairy tale in Renaissance Italy. It features the historical Borgia family, with Lucrezia Borgia as the "evil queen". The story follows Bianca de Nevada, a young girl whose life is upended by the Borgias, and reimagines the classic tale with historical and political intrigue, darker themes, and a focus on the cultural and artistic backdrop of the era. William Morrow published the book in September 2004 and republished it on February 3, 2026.

The publisher's summary:

The year is 1502, and seven-year-old Bianca de Nevada lives perched high above the rolling hills and valleys of Tuscany and Umbria at Montefiore, the farm of her beloved father, Don Vincente. But one day a noble entourage makes its way up the winding slopes to the farm— and the world comes to Montefiore. In the presence of Cesare Borgia and his sister, the lovely and vain Lucrezia—decadent children of a wicked pope—no one can claim innocence for very long. When Borgia sends Don Vincente on a years-long quest, he leaves Bianca under the care—so to speak—of Lucrezia. She plots a dire fate for the young girl in the woods below the farm, but in the dark forest salvation can be found as well. . . .

A lyrical work of stunning creative vision, Mirror Mirror gives fresh life to the classic story of Snow White—and has a truth and beauty all its own.

The writing style of this book is bizarre. I was expecting a traditional Borgia historical fiction novel but what I got was something else. I cannot even describe it because I don’t know what I just read. There was some hope that the plot would pick up speed but it didn't. It was boring. Most of the online reviews are positive but I did not understand why. Am I missing something? Suffice to say I didn't enjoy the book. No rating.

The Local Man #1

I have been wanting to read The Local Man for awhile and finally found time to read it. This volume collects releases one through five of the acclaimed hit series by Tony Fleecs and Tim Seeley. Volume 1 has 169 pages of brightly colored comic strip panels. There are several additional volumes that continue to tell this story. The series features many superhero characters. It was published in September 2023.

Jack Xaver is the main character. He was once the star recruit of the media sensation super-team Third Gen and was known as Crossjack. He had it all. However, he lost everything after getting fired. That him crawling back to his parent's basement in the Midwest. Jack struggles to fit into the world he left behind twenty years ago. Everyone in his small town of Farmington, Wisconsin are angry at him and do not want him there. After an adversary dies following a fight with Jack, he is arrested for murder. Jack has  an alibi though, a police officer's wife. 

Each of the five releases contained a main story and a flashback story. This pretty much confused me until I reread the book a second time. Interestingly, the setting is called the Image Universe. There is also a religious element too. I cannot imagine what any of it had to do with the plot and assume it will be explained in future releases. Also note that this comic is for adult readers only. There is alot of foul language, violence and sexy scenes. 

I still don't know where this series is going. Several superheroes were introduced but I didn't catch what their purpose was. Some of them worked with Jack at Third Gen though. Jack's scenes with his parents were the part of the book that I enjoyed the most, probably because they made sense to me. His parents are insisting that he reveal why he lost his job and that he get another job ASAP. They are practicing Christians and Jack obviously is not so there is tension between them.

This volume of the series set up the storyline that will follow. The characters have been introduced and the plot has space to grow. All in all, it was a good read. 3 out of 5 stars.

Icons of Design (Black Lives #2)

I received a free uncorrected proof of Icons of Design from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.  This 128 page graphic novel was written for kids aged 8 through 12 and it will be published on January 5, 2027. Black Lives is a new graphic novel series from award-winning author Tonya Bolden and illustrator David Wilkerson that celebrates the lives of Black innovators and legends and helps bring lesser-known histories to life. 

The publisher's summary:

Learn about the remarkable work of costume designers, toy makers, and architects in award-winning author Tonya Bolden and illustrator David Wilkerson’s exciting new graphic novel series about some of the most fascinating Black lives in history

Ann Lowe (fashion designer). Ed Welburn (automotive designer). Ruth E. Carter (costume designer). These aren’t names that many people learn about in school, but they’re some of the greatest designers that people should know about—and they join the ranks of toy designers, architects, and graphic designers celebrated in Icons of Design.

Each faced challenges as they rose to the top of their professions, but they didn’t back down. They kept creating and experimenting and learning, and they made significant contributions in each of their fields!

The lives of nine African American designers are featured in this informative graphic novel. It covers designers in the late 1800s to the present. The types of design included landscape, fashion, costume, car, toy and graphic design. These nine designers are Gus Williston, Ann Lowe, jewelry designer Art Smith, industrial designer Chuck Harrison, architect Roberta Washington, car designer Ed Welburn, costume designer Ruth Carter, toy designer David Vonner, and graphic designer Gail Anderson.

I particularly enjoyed the life story of landscape architect David Augustus Williston. He was born shortly after the end of the Civil War. Gus, as he was called, loved gardening as a child and eventually was admitted to a teacher training program at Normal School, later known as Howard University in Washington DC. Gus wanted more education and landed a spot at Cornell University, after being forced to take eight entrance exams. He wrote a thesis titled Atmospheric Drainage and graduated in 1897 with a bachelor of science degree in aagriculture. Gus did not stop learning more and more about landscaping. He had steady work throughout his life and opened his own design firm, earning plenty of prestigious clients. 

Another designer I loved was fashion designer Ann Lowe. She experienced many setbacks in her career due to her race but was so good at designing ball gowns that she was hired to design Jackie Bouvier's wedding dress when she married JFK. 

My incorrected proof of this graphic novel did not have any coloring for the drawings. I think it will end up with bold colors though because the book cover is a bright blue. It’s quite striking.  Icons of Design is an inspirational book. I loved reading all of the biographies inside its pages and certainly learned alot. 

5 out of 5 stars.