After barely surviving a traumatizing abduction by a vicious serial killer while on the job in Manhattan, former NYPD detective Shana Merchant has moved upstate, taking a position with the Bureau of Crime Investigation (BCI).  Idyllic Alexandria Bay, a charming village in the Thousand Islands area, is the perfect place to lick her wounds.  With her devoted fiancé by her side, she hopes to put her nightmares behind her and make a fresh start in the peaceful riverside town.  

Shana is shocked when her department receives a frantic call about a murder on an island that is privately owned by a wealthy family from the city.  With an incoming nor'easter creating stormy weather and choppy water, Shana and her partner, Tim Wellington, head out to Tern Island.  Nine members of the Sinclair family, a wealthy clan that has made a fortune in the NYC fashion industry, have been vacationing there.  One of them, 26-year-old Jasper, has vanished.  The bed in which he and his girlfriend were sleeping is soaked in blood, but there's no corpse and the girlfriend claims to have no idea what happened.  Tim thinks they're dealing with a spoiled businessman who's gone missing to get attention.  Shana's sure it's murder.  

With only a handful of suspects on the remote island, it seems clear that Jasper has not just been killed but also that he's been murdered by a member of his own family.  All of them had motive, means, and opportunity.  Which one made sure Jasper was out of the way?  And why?  As the storm worsens, isolating Shana and Tim on the island with a dysfunctional family, one of whom is a killer, the situation grows increasingly perilous.  Can Shana and her partner get the truth out of their very reluctant witnesses?  Can they unmask the murderer before someone else turns up dead?  Will that someone be one of them?  

I love me a locked-room mystery set in an isolated locale, so I was all in for Death in the Family, a debut novel by Tessa Wegert.  Atmospheric and absorbing, the mystery is engrossing and twisty.  It kept me guessing until the very end, which is exactly what I like in a mystery/thriller.  Shana is a sympathetic heroine whose vulnerability and determination make her both relatable and admirable.  The Sinclairs are the opposite.  They're snobby, greedy, manipulative, and immature, almost to a one.  In the end, the whole sorry lot pretty much gets what they deserve.  I cared about Shana, though.  That—and an engrossing, can't-look-away plot—is what kept me reading Death in the Family.  Even though it's a depressing story, I enjoyed the thrilling read overall.  I just requested The Dead Season, the second installment in the Shana Merchant series, from the library because I'm excited to see what this intriguing heroine does next.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of books by Ruth Ware, Lucy Foley, Sharon Bolton, and Jane Casey)

(Image from author's website)

Maddie Harrison loves her little stepbrothers, but sometimes a girl needs a break.  That's why the 12-year-old decides to spend a night away, secretly having a sleepover in her grandparents' condo while they're away.  Her friends bail on the idea, but Maddie perseveres—and it's glorious.  Until she wakes up and finds that her entire town has been emptied while she sleeps.  Everyone she's ever known and loved is gone, leaving their cell phones behind.  What could possibly have triggered the exodus?  Is she the only one who's been left behind?  With no way to contact her parents, how is she ever going to find them?  And how will she survive without them?

As the days and weeks pass, it becomes apparent that no one is coming to rescue Maddie.  The more she explores, the more she realizes that the emptiness goes beyond just her suburb.  It's apparent that, somehow, Maddie will have to find a way to keep herself healthy and safe for the foreseeable future.  With only George, her neighbor's abandoned rottweiler, by her side, she has to forage for food and water, figure out how to stay warm during the upcoming winter, and keep them both safe from the threats all around them.  With boredom and loneliness weighing heavily on her, Maddie must keep dark thoughts at bay and keep going.  But for how long?  What really happened to her parents, siblings, and friends?  Are they ever coming back?  How many more months can Maddie survive all on her own?

Alone, a debut novel by Megan E. Freeman, tells a tense, harrowing story that will appeal to anyone who loves taut survival tales.  While its premise—a young girl sleeps blissfully on while a fairly large town is completely evacuated around her—seems awfully far-fetched, the rest of the plot feels disturbingly realistic.  Told in verse, it's a fast-moving, absorbing book that I buzzed through in one sitting.  It's easy to root for Maddie, who's brave, resourceful, and likable.  Kids will find her determination both admirable and empowering.  Although the story is scary in places and does get pretty bleak for a middle grade novel, it ends on a hopeful note.  Hand this one to reluctant readers, Hatchet fans, and kids who want a soft introduction to dystopian/post-apocalyptic type literature.  They'll eat it up, just like I did.

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of Hatchet by Gary Paulsen and other MG survival stories like The Canyon's Edge by Dusti Bowling and Storm Blown by Nick Courage)

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find

When her abusive husband dies, Lady Katherine Bascomb breathes a sigh of relief.  Not only is she finally free from his explosive temper, but she's now a wealthy widow and the owner of a London newspaper.  As such, she's free to write the kinds of articles she wants to pen, even if the laced-up Victorians frown upon a lady reporting hard news.  Kate refuses to let that stop her from using her own intelligence and insight to try to solve a spate of murders that have been plaguing the city.  When she makes a rookie investigatory misstep that puts a young woman in danger, however, she sees just how dangerous meddling in police work can be.

A seasoned detective inspector with the Metropolitan Police, Andrew Eversham is furious when he learns that Kate has been nosing around in his case.  He becomes even more enraged when he encounters her again—this time as the discoverer of a murdered manservant at her friend's country manor.  As annoyed as he is by the beautiful Kate, he can't deny that she's smart and observant.  True, she made a dangerous mistake in reporting, but would it really be so bad to give her another chance?  Andrew needs all the help he can get to stop a vicious criminal and Kate just might make a worthy partner.  Can the duo work together without losing their tempers—or their hearts?  

Everything about A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Mayhem by Manda Collins—from its playful cover to its clever tagline to its lively plot summary—screams light, fun historical mystery/romance.  I expected to be thoroughly charmed by the novel, which I have been looking forward to reading ever since it landed on my doorstep.  Did it live up to my (admittedly high) expectations?  Not exactly.  While the book is diverting overall, it didn't enchant me the way I wanted it to.  The characters are likable without being anything special.  I get that Kate is supposed to be a forward-thinking woman, but her attitude and speech feel too contemporary to be authentically Victorian.  As far as Andrew goes, his constant distraction over Kate's looks made him seem unprofessional and less honorable than I wanted him to be.  Both are supposed to be fiercely independent and love-adverse, but neither has to work too hard to win the other over, which makes their romance seem insta-lovey and stale.  I was especially annoyed by a brief, but fairly graphic sex scene that occurs about 3/4 of the way through the story.  The swerve from PG-ish territory to R came as a disappointing surprise to me.  It didn't fit with the vibe of the novel, although perhaps I should have seen it coming since Collins' other books are, apparently, bodice rippers.  Nevertheless, it soured my reading experience of what I thought would be a light, frothy romantic mystery.  Speaking of the mystery, it does have a plot twist that I didn't totally see coming, which made for a nice surprise.  Still, the finale is pretty lackluster and anti-climactic.  All of these things considered, A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Mayhem turned out to be an only slightly better-than-average read for me.  It was engaging enough to keep me reading, but too many irritants got in the way of me really enjoying it.  I wanted to love the book and just...didn't.  As far as this genre goes, I'll stick with what I already know and love.  Sorry, but Kate Bascomb simply can't compete with Veronica Speedwell and Kat Halloway.       

(Readalikes:  Reminds me of the Veronica Speedwell mystery series by Deanna Raybourn and the Kat Halloway mystery series by Jennifer Ashley, although I'd recommend both of these over A Lady's Guide to Mischief and Mayhem)

Quinn Caine has always loved her quaint hometown of Vienna, Virginia.  After attending college and teaching English abroad, the 25-year-old is back to stay.  Working as a book binder at her family's charming shop will hopefully let her make a decent living while spending time with her kin and getting reacquainted with old friends.  With her German Shepherd, Ruff Barker Ginsburg, by her side, she's all set to make a new life for herself in Vienna.

The past comes calling when snooty Tricia Pemberley goes out of her way to flash her new engagement ring in Quinn's face.  The former beauty queen, who's set to marry an old flame of Quinn's, loves to stir up drama where there isn't any.  Quinn couldn't care less about the pending nuptials, but when Tricia ends up dead, suspicion turns her way.  With the help of Sister Daria—her cousin-turned-nun—Quinn vows to clear her name.  Although Detective Aiden Harrington—her older brother's hot friend-turned-cop—warns her against Nancy Drew-ing her way into trouble, Quinn won't rest until she finds out who really killed Tricia.  Can she solve the case before she becomes the next victim?  Or will her new life in Vienna end before it ever really begins?

To Kill a Mocking Girl by Harper Kincaid is the first book in a new cozy mystery series starring Quinn Cane.  Vienna is a real Virginia town and it makes for an appealing background.  Kincaid creates a warm fictional community for Quinn that is composed of a tight-knit family, quirky townsfolk, a hip nunnery, and a lovable canine.  This is by far my favorite thing about To Kill a Mocking Girl, which is otherwise a pretty so-so tale.  The mystery is predictable, the plot is contrived, and the interactions between certain characters (Quinn and Tricia, for instance) are melodramatic and silly.  Quinn comes off as likable, but also ditzy and immature.  And she is not at all convincing as a bookbinder.  Despite these irritants, the book is upbeat, entertaining, and fun.  I'm still trying to decide whether the annoying things about this first installment outweigh its more agreeable aspects.  Will I give the next one a go?  Maybe, maybe not.  We'll see.

(Readalikes:  Most of the cozies I read are more culinary in nature, so I'm drawing a bit of a blank here.  Ideas?)

To the FTC, with love:  Another library fine find