When Boston librarian Iris Quinn turns 50, the reality of her safe, staid life suddenly becomes unbearable. She's never done anything spontaneous. Throwing all caution to the wind, she decides to make a long-held dream of hers come true. She drains her savings account to purchase a ticket for a luxury train ride from London to Istanbul aboard the famed Orient Express. Although Iris feels too plain and ordinary to be embarking on such a glamorous adventure, she's also utterly entranced. Feeling as if she's stepped inside an Agatha Christie novel, she vows to embrace the experience for all its worth. Just as she's starting to really enjoy herself, however, a passenger is killed—and a shrewd Swiss detective pegs Iris not only as a suspicious outsider but also as the prime suspect in the murder. Desperate to clear her name, she vows to use her keen observation skills to unmask the real killer. Can she solve the case before anyone else dies? Or will she become the murderer's next victim?

No One Sleeps on the Orient Express by Irene Hagan is the first installment in a promising new cozy mystery series. As a 50-year-old book lover myself, I found Iris to be a kindred spirit. She's down-to-earth, relatable, compassionate, and clever. Her habit of sorting everyone she meets into certain stereotypes from various literary genres made me laugh. I especially liked seeing how those people smashed through those tropes, teaching the shelted Iris that real people are much more complex than book characters. As for the other passengers on the Orient Express, there isn't time to get to know any of them very well. I would have liked to delve deeper into their backstories. In fact, No One Sleeps on the Orient Express may be the first cozy mystery I've ever read in which I wanted the book to be longer than it was. (It's only 249 pages.) The murderer's identity is a little too obvious; a more intricate plot with twists and red herrings (á la Ms. Christie) would have served the story well, I think. Nevertheless, I very much enjoyed No One Sleeps on the Orient Express. The novel is atmospheric, funny, entertaining, and clean. I was thrilled to discover that the next installment, It Always Rains at Ashford Castle, comes out in September because I really can't wait to see what Iris gets up to next.

(Readalikes: Reminds me of Murder on the Orient Express by Agatha Christie (naturally), Everyone On This Train Is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson, and With a Vengeance by Riley Sager)

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Twenty years ago, two frustrated American writers found each other in Italy and fell in love. They married, forming a romantic partnership at the same time they began co-writing what would become a popular, bestselling murder mystery series. Two decades later, Thea and Fred Morgan-Lane are flying back to the place where they met to participate in a writers' conference. They should be anticipating a romantic, nostalgic trip into the past, but the couple has not lived together in six years; they're keeping up the image of a happy marriage only to appease their fans. In fact, Thea is working up the courage to confront Fred about ending not just their long-running book series, but also their sham of a marriage. 

Amid the usual dramas of a writers' conference—intrusive super fans, jealousies between authors, exhausting social engagements, and more—guests are abuzz about the treasure hunt that's been planned in the medieval castle-turned hotel where the conference is being held. Rumors of a real treasure have always circled about the centuries-old edifice, but Thea—a medieval scholar—strongly doubts it ever existed. When a shocking death occurs on the first night of the conference, it commands everyone's attention. The next dead body confirms that there is a killer at the event, and they're using one of Thea and Fred's books as a blueprint for murder. Under suspicion themselves, the warring couple finds themselves reluctantly working together to unmask the true murderer. Can the duo that solves crimes so successfully on the page unmask a real-life killer? Or will they become the next victims?

Carol Goodman is one of my go-to mystery/thriller authors. Her books feature atmospheric settings, complicated relationships, and twisty plots. Our Marriage is Murder, her latest, which comes out today, is no exception. It does differ from her previous novels; between its tongue-in-cheek title and its lighter tone, it has the feel of a cozy, although it's still darker and more violent than most books in that genre. Our Marriage is Murder is actually a mash-up of genres: it's a little bit mystery/thriller, a little bit cozy, a little bit Indiana Jones-style action/adventure, and a little bit second-chance romance. These extra elements give the story more oomph, which is needed because the tale does get slow in places. It's also pretty predictable. The ending, however, is perfect, with some thrilling scenes and a satisfying conclusion. 

The characters are a bit skimpy in the depth and complexity departments. Thea is sympathetic, but she's also rather self-centered and a little cold. Fred is more dynamic, but he's also less likeable. Nevertheless, I was rooting for the couple to work things out, both professionally and personally. Even though I don't read much romance, I always want a nice HEA to look forward to. I prefer a realistic one and, like I said, I enjoyed the way Thea and Fred's story wraps up. 

Our Marriage is Murder isn't my favorite of Goodman's novels, but I enjoyed it overall. It kept me entertained, although it was only in the last 1/3 or so that I found it unputdownable. Still, it's a solid read that shows Goodman's flexibility as a writer. I'm excited to see what she does next.

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While all this is happening, Molly discovers another treasure: her Gran's diary. The grandmother who raised her never discussed her mysterious past. Reading Flora Gray's story will give Molly unprecedented insight into her Gran's identity as well as her own.

I've enjoyed all of the books in Nita Prose's delightful Maid series, and this third outing is no exception, even if The Maid's Secret is my least favorite of the installments. This novel is a departure from its predecessors for three reasons: it's not a murder mystery, it's told from two points-of-view, and it uses an alternating timeline structure. The first one is no big deal; in fact, it's an effective way to change things up, keeping the series from getting too formulaic. Telling the tale in two different timelines in both Gran's and Molly's voices, though? Meh. Neither device worked well for me, I'm afraid. As much as I like Flora as a character (at least as a senior citizen—she's rather insufferable as a young woman), there's nothing original about her back story, which makes it fairly dull and predictable. Molly's unique personality and perspective is what gives this series its freshness, and she gets much less page time in The Maid's Secret than she does in the other books. I wanted to spend more time watching her solve the heist than learning about Gran's past. Like I said above, the book is still entertaining; I just didn't love it like I have the other books.

Because I was reading The Maid's Secret for book club (we read the first two books together and all of use enjoyed them), my husband decided to read it as well, even though he hasn't read the first 2 1/2 installments. His verdict? "It was okay, but there's nothing very original about it." A new member of my book club, who hasn't read the rest of the series, DNFd The Maid's Secret because she was bored, not really caring about the characters. Those of us in the book club who had read the previous books agree this newest one is our least favorite of the bunch, but we were still invested in the story because we have learned to love the characters (especially Molly) over the course of the series. Hence my warning at the beginning of this review. Although this book can be read as a standalone, it's much more enjoyable if you've read the previous books and already care about the characters. For me, I just hope Prose goes back to murder and more Molly in the next installment.

(Readalikes: the other books in the series, The Maid; The Mystery Guest; and The Mistletoe Mystery [a holiday novella])

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High schoolers Liam, Elayah, Jorja, and Marcie are close friends, just like their parents were back in the day. When the foursome learns about a time capsule their parents hid back in 1986, they decide to dig it up just for fun. Among the expected items—photos, mixtapes, newspaper clippings, old coins—the teens make a shocking discovery: a bloody knife and a note that says, "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to kill anyone." Is it just a stupid joke? Or did one of their parents actually murder someone?

When other disconcerting things start to happen, the kids realize that they've stumbled upon a decades-old secret that someone does not want revealed. As they start poking around, digging into their parents' pasts, disturbing information comes to light. What really happened between their parents? Who died? And, most importantly, which one of the adults they all know and love is a murderer?

I'm always up for a dual-timeline mystery about secrets of the past coming to light. Time Will Tell, a YA mystery by Barry Lyga, gives the classic premise a fun spin by turning a group of teens into detectives investigating their parents' long-hidden secrets. At 421 pages, the novel is longer than necessary but it moves along at a fair pace. Not a fast one, but not a super slow one either. True, there's not tons of action; still, I zipped through the book, eager to know what was going to happen next. Many reviewers have complained that the tale is confusing because there are lots of characters and it's difficult to keep them all straight, especially the parents because they're referred to as "Mom/Dad" or "so-and-so's mom/dad." I get this, although I also understand that the obscured identities are necessary to keep the mystery suspenseful. Still, it does make the story confusing at times. For the most part, Lyga's story people are sympathetic and likable. I wanted good things for most of them. Plotwise, Time Will Tell isn't the tightest. There are several holes and things that just didn't make much sense to me. Overall, then, I didn't love this book. I did like it well enough, though. It kept me reading.

(Readalikes: Hm, I can't think of anything. Can you?)

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