Category: Book Reviews

Book Review | The Hummingbird by Stephen P. Kiernan

Posted March 16, 2026 by Haze in Book Reviews / 0 Comments

The Hummingbird by Stephen P. Kiernan

From the author of the acclaimed The Curiosity comes a compelling and moving story of compassion, courage, and redemption

Deborah Birch is a seasoned hospice nurse whose daily work requires courage and compassion. But her skills and experience are tested in new and dramatic ways when her easygoing husband, Michael, returns from his third deployment to Iraq haunted by nightmares, anxiety, and rage. She is determined to help him heal, and to restore the tender, loving marriage they once had.

At the same time, Deborahs primary patient is Barclay Reed, a retired history professor and expert in the Pacific Theater of World War II whose career ended in academic scandal. Alone in the world, the embittered professor is dying. As Barclay begrudgingly comes to trust Deborah, he tells her stories from that long-ago war, which help her find a way to help her husband battle his demons.

Told with piercing empathy and heartbreaking realism, The Hummingbird is a masterful story of loving commitment, service to country, and absolution through wisdom and forgiveness.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2026 52 Book Club Reading Challenge (Prompt #49: From the 800s of the Dewey Decimal System)

The Reason

This is a reread and the BOTM for my bookclub, but I would’ve reread it anyway because it’s one of the most beautiful books I’ve ever read.

The Quotes

“I believe the measure of a vow does not lie in saying it, or in upholding it when things are easy. The power of a promise is proven in times of difficulty, when keeping that pledge is hard.”

“No one dies alone. If every life has value, so does every death.”

“What a notion. The main thing that giving a big gift required was courage.”

“I stayed with him, nothing greater than that, but essential because I stood between Barclay Reed and his being alone.”

My Thoughts

I read this book for the first time eight years ago and loved it then. Reading it again now; I love it still but it also hits a little different for me. Eight years ago isn’t really that long ago, but I was a different person then. I was younger, more hopeful about the future, and seeing things from the caregiver POV. I have since suffered some medical issues and I feel older and more tired in general. I’m not giving up by any means and of course I’m doing my best to take better care of myself, but it’s hard not to think of my own mortality when reading this book about a hospice nurse taking care of a dying patient.

I think it is important that I share my thoughts when I read it all those years ago:

The Hummingbird really speaks to my heart and to my sense of humanity. What makes us human, why do we suffer, why is life so fleeting… and yet so beautiful, so precious, so meaningful? Why do we live, only to die? This book doesn’t answer all of these questions necessarily, but it does make me stop and think of my own approach to life and relationships.

One of the things I loved most about the book is how death is portrayed in such a beautiful way. Tarot readers often spend a lot of time explaining the death card and how it doesn’t have to be a scary card. Most of the time we talk about rebirth, transitions, and new beginnings, and all of that is true. Sometimes it means a physical death, and despite how naturally death is a part of life, many people are still afraid of it. I feel like this book shows how death can be just as beautiful and as precious as birth of a newborn, and such a privilege to witness.

The most important thing for me though, is seeing how the protagonist navigates her world and in the end, how she grows. She is a hospice nurse who cares for those in their final days, and her dedication to her patients, her devotion, compassion, and understanding of their needs, is so humbling to see.

Throughout the book even as she struggles to provide care, she reminds herself that it’s not about her, it is about her patients and their families, and how she can best serve them. This is something that speaks to me as a tarot reader; it is never about my ego or how accurate my interpretation of the cards is, it is always about my clients and how I can best serve my them.

I still feel the same awe and beauty reading it this time, and it feels more meaningful to me now because I feel like I appreciate life and how fleeting it can be now more than ever. I don’t know if I can put into words all the feelings I have about this book.

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

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Book Review | The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont

Posted March 16, 2026 by Haze in Book Reviews / 2 Comments

The Christie Affair by Nina de Gramont

Nina de Gramont’s The Christie Affair is a beguiling novel of star-crossed lovers, heartbreak, revenge, and murder—and a brilliant re-imagination of one of the most talked-about unsolved mysteries of the twentieth century.

Every story has its secrets.
Every mystery has its motives.

“A long time ago, in another country, I nearly killed a woman. It’s a particular feeling, the urge to murder. It takes over your body so completely, it’s like a divine force, grabbing hold of your will, your limbs, your psyche. There’s a joy to it. In retrospect, it’s frightening, but I daresay in the moment it feels sweet. The way justice feels sweet.”

The greatest mystery wasn’t Agatha Christie’s disappearance in those eleven infamous days, it’s what she discovered.

London, 1925: In a world of townhomes and tennis matches, socialites and shooting parties, Miss Nan O’Dea became Archie Christie’s mistress, luring him away from his devoted and well-known wife, Agatha Christie.

The question is, why? Why destroy another woman’s marriage, why hatch a plot years in the making, and why murder? How was Nan O’Dea so intricately tied to those eleven mysterious days that Agatha Christie went missing?

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2026 52 Book Club Reading Challenge (Prompt #45: Biographical fiction)

The Reason

I needed a book for the 52 Book Club challenge prompt and I’d been curious about Agatha Christie’s mysterious disappearance.

The Quotes

“Sometimes a life is so entirely disrupted, on such a large and ungraspable scale, all one can do is face the ruined day.”

“Obedience seemed the safest plan. I hadn’t learned yet. In this world it’s the obedient girls who are most in danger.”

“I see the kind of determination you only recognize if you’ve felt it yourself. Determination born of desperation transformed into purpose.”

“We both know you can’t tell your own story without exposing someone else’s.”

The Narrator(s)

Lucy Scott. It was pretty good.

My Thoughts

This is a work of fiction so I know it’s not what actually happened with Agatha Christie’s disappearance, but even just taking it as a work of fiction, I find it very hard to suspend my belief because the whole “reveal” is such a reach. I wish I could talk about it more without spoiling it, and to be fair, I’m not sure it’s an actual spoiler because it’s quite obvious throughout the book that it was leading us there. However, it’s not Nan’s reason itself that doesn’t make sense to me, it’s Christie’s reaction to it, and perhaps just the way the story was told. The vibes are great, the story not so much.

I am still very curious about Agatha Christie in general though, and I’m glad I chose this book for the corresponding prompt, because there’s another prompt for a nonfiction book related to the character in this book and I get to read something real about Christie!

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

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Book Review | Brigands & Breadknives (Legends & Lattes #2) by Travis Baldree

Posted February 17, 2026 by Haze in Book Reviews / 4 Comments

Brigands & Breadknives (Legends & Lattes #2) by Travis Baldree

Return to the cozy fantasy world of the #1 New York Times bestselling Legends & Lattes series with a new adventure featuring fan-favorite, foul-mouthed bookseller, Fern.

Fern has weathered the stillness and storms of a bookseller’s life for decades, but now, in the face of crippling ennui, transplants herself to the city of Thune to hang out her shingle beside a long-absent friend’s coffee shop. What could be a better pairing? Surely a charming renovation montage will cure what ails her!

If only things were so simple…

It turns out that fixing your life isn’t a one-time prospect, nor as easy as a change of scenery and a lick of paint.

A drunken and desperate night sees the rattkin waking far from home in the company of a legendary warrior surviving on inertia, an imprisoned chaos-goblin with a fondness for silverware, and an absolutely thumping hangover.

As together they fend off a rogue’s gallery of ne’er-do-wells trying to claim the bounty the goblin represents, Fern may finally reconnect with the person she actually is when there isn’t a job to get in the way.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2026 52 Book Club Reading Challenge (Prompt #26: Title in a serif font)

The Reason

I wanted more of the Legends & Lattes world!

The Quotes

“Sometimes the storm clears away the wreckage.”

“”We goes when is time to be somewhere else,” said Zyll.”

“I could wish you hadn’t seen the worst of me, but I’m glad you looked past it until you saw the back of me.”

“Always remember, although the unimaginative see life as a thread stretched from one point to another, birth to death, a life truly lived is a glorious tangle. One is never lost. And if one is lucky, one is never found, either.”

The Narrator(s)

The author himself. I enjoy his narration in general but I had trouble understanding many of the made-up words and names, a common problem with fantasy stories, so I ended up switching to a physical copy of the book.

My Thoughts

Full disclosure, I didn’t like this book as much as the first two. The author mentions in the acknowledgement that he worried people might not enjoy this book as much because it was not as cozy and was higher conflict than the first two books, but that he didn’t want to write the same book over and over, and frankly I respect that. This wasn’t the issue for me.

My issue was that I didn’t like Fern very much here because she was so wishy-washy and uncertain about everything, and yet constantly complaining and imposing her opinions on others. On the one hand, I recognize that I don’t like seeing these traits in her because I really didn’t like seeing these traits in myself, so I get that I have work to do for myself. But it was just really annoying to be shown a mirror.

I did enjoy the rest of the book, and I love Zyll’s character so much! As mentioned, the author said he didn’t want to write the same book over and over, and that actually makes me look forward to more books in this series because I’d love to see how these characters and their stories change and evolve as we go!

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

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Book Review | Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth

Posted February 17, 2026 by Haze in Book Reviews / 2 Comments

Darling Girls by Sally Hepworth

For as long as they can remember, Jessica, Norah, and Alicia have been told how lucky they are. As young girls they were rescued from family tragedies and raised by a loving foster mother, Miss Fairchild, on an idyllic farming estate and given an elusive second chance at a happy family life.

But their childhood wasn’t the fairy tale everyone thinks it was. Miss Fairchild had rules. Miss Fairchild could be unpredictable. And Miss Fairchild was never, ever to be crossed. In a moment of desperation, the three broke away from Miss Fairchild and thought they were free. Even though they never saw her again, she was always somewhere in the shadows of their minds. When a body is discovered under the home they grew up in, the foster sisters find themselves thrust into the spotlight as key witnesses. Or are they prime suspects?

A thrilling page-turner of sisterhood, secrets, love, and murder by New York Times bestselling author Sally Hepworth.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2026 52 Book Club Reading Challenge (Prompt #TBD: TBD)

The Reason

I borrowed a bunch of Hepworth’s books after loving the last one I read; The Good Sister.

The Quotes

“Even after all these years, yearning for the love and attention of someone who couldn’t give it to her was much more comfortable than actually receiving it.”

“Some people are so busy chasing perfection they don’t appreciate the wonders right in front of them”

“When cruelty becomes familiar in your tender, adolescent years, of course you start to become comfortable with it. You believe you deserve it. But you don’t.”

“When it came to vengeance, Miss Fairchild preferred to play the long game.”

The Narrator(s)

Jessica Clarke. I enjoyed her narration more than Barrie Kreinik’s for The Good Sister.

My Thoughts

I didn’t enjoy this one as much as The Good Sister but I thought it was pretty good too. I’m discovering that I often find the author’s stories predictable but I still really like their storytelling style and I’m happy to read more. It’s the psychological horror that gets me; the author writes those emotional scenes so well and I find myself feeling all the feelings. This book features motherhood, foster children, and the complicated issues that come with that. I loved the story overall, but I have to say that I found the last chapter unnecessary and unrealistic. It was a twist for shock factor but it doesn’t make sense to the story, in my opinion, and it not only weakens the shock factor but the whole psychological horror aspect. It was a great story up to that point.

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

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Book Review | Never Flinch by Stephen King

Posted February 17, 2026 by Haze in Book Reviews / 0 Comments

Never Flinch by Stephen King

From master storyteller Stephen King comes an extraordinary new novel with intertwining storylines—one about a killer on a diabolical revenge mission, and another about a vigilante targeting a feminist celebrity speaker—featuring the beloved Holly Gibney and a dynamic new cast of characters.

When the Buckeye City Police Department receives a disturbing letter from a person threatening to “kill thirteen innocents and one guilty” in “an act of atonement for the needless death of an innocent man,” Detective Izzy Jaynes has no idea what to think. Are fourteen citizens about to be slaughtered in an unhinged act of retribution? As the investigation unfolds, Izzy realizes that the letter writer is deadly serious, and she turns to her friend Holly Gibney for help.

Meanwhile, controversial and outspoken women’s rights activist Kate McKay is embarking on a multi-state lecture tour, drawing packed venues of both fans and detractors. Someone who vehemently opposes Kate’s message of female empowerment is targeting her and disrupting her events. At first, no one is hurt, but the stalker is growing bolder, and Holly is hired to be Kate’s bodyguard—a challenging task with a headstrong employer and a determined adversary driven by wrath and his belief in his own righteousness.

Featuring a riveting cast of characters both old and new, including world-famous gospel singer Sista Bessie and an unforgettable villain addicted to murder, these twinned narratives converge in a chilling and spectacular conclusion—a feat of storytelling only Stephen King could pull off.

Thrilling, wildly fun, and outrageously engrossing, Never Flinch is one of King’s richest and most propulsive novels.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
The Stephen King Constant Reader Challenge

The Reason

I’m reading all of King’s books and Holly Gibney is one of my favorite characters.

The Quotes

“He’s dangerous because he thinks he’s sane.” She pauses. “To belabor something else that’s obvious, he’s not.”

“The bastards don’t get to win.”

“It’s not courage she lacks, it’s the fundamental self-worth necessary to call someone out on their hurtful behavior.”

“…because deeply religious people in every sect or faith can always find justification for what they want to do in one holy book or another.”

The Narrator(s)

Jessie Mueller, with an afterword read by Stephen King. Seriously, Mueller is damn good, but even more so, she can sing! There are parts in the book where music and performance comes in, and Mueller delivers so well I am in awe.

My Thoughts

I know many King fans are lukewarm about Holly but I love her and can’t get enough of her. This book’s story isn’t the best compared to the previous Holly stories, but I still love it because of Holly and her friends. I’m glad to see Jerome, Barbara, and Izzy again, and I love seeing how they have all grown in so many different ways. I also fell in love with Corrie as a character and I’m hoping we’ll see her again in future books. There was some mention of the possibility of Izzy joining Holly as a PI, and honestly, I’m so excited about the prospect of that as well as seeing more of Corrie in future books. I don’t care what others say, this book made me want more Holly books!

The story itself is good, but it’s tough to compare King’s books because he’s got so many amazing books. I think my biggest complaint is that there weren’t enough supernatural elements here although I wonder if that’s the point. I’ve always loved that while King writes about supernatural monsters, he also often makes a point that some of the worst monsters are the real life ones. To be fair though, despite not having enough supernatural elements, I did enjoy the book very much. I had about three hours left of the book just before bed and it got so thrilling I couldn’t sleep and ended up staying up to finish it, so I’d call that a win.

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

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Book Review | The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth

Posted February 13, 2026 by Haze in Book Reviews / 1 Comment

The Good Sister by Sally Hepworth

Sally Hepworth, the author of The Mother-In-Law delivers a knock-out of a novel about the lies that bind two sisters in The Good Sister.

There’s only been one time that Rose couldn’t stop me from doing the wrong thing and that was a mistake that will haunt me for the rest of my life.

Fern Castle works in her local library. She has dinner with her twin sister Rose three nights a week. And she avoids crowds, bright lights and loud noises as much as possible. Fern has a carefully structured life and disrupting her routine can be…dangerous.

When Rose discovers that she cannot get pregnant, Fern sees her chance to pay her sister back for everything Rose has done for her. Fern can have a baby for Rose. She just needs to find a father. Simple.

Fern’s mission will shake the foundations of the life she has carefully built for herself and stir up dark secrets from the past, in this quirky, rich and shocking story of what families keep hidden.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2026 52 Book Club Reading Challenge (Prompt #19: A nosy neighbor character)

The Reason

I have enjoyed Sally Hepworth’s books in the past and this one sounded good.

The Quotes

“The library belongs to everyone. The library, Janet used to say, is one of only a few places in the world that one doesn’t need to believe anything or buy anything to come inside.”

“I’d always found there was something agreeable about people who liked dogs and something untrustworthy about those who didn’t.”

“If it were up to me, every child would have a year in the library before they went to school.”

“Sisterly relationships are so strange in this way. The way I can be mad at Rose but still want to please her. Be terrified of her and also want to run to her. Hate her and love her, both at the same time. Maybe when it comes to sisters, boundaries are always a little bit blurry. Blurred boundaries, I think, are what sisters do best.”

The Narrator(s)

Barrie Kreinik. She was overall good, but there were times when her voices for each character was inconsistent and I wasn’t sure who was talking.

My Thoughts

This is one of the best mystery thrillers I’ve read in a while. I was so incredibly invested in the story and it really felt like I had my heart in my throat for most of the second half of the book. The first half was also very interesting because Fern’s POV read like a wholesome romance, while Rose’s POV was so sad and difficult to read at times.

I did figure out early on what was happening, but it didn’t ruin the story for me because the journey from beginning to the end was just so good. These are some of the most interesting characters I’ve come across and I especially love Wally/Rocco’s character. To be clear, some of these characters aren’t necessarily good people and I do question some of their actions, but they are so interesting to read about and get to know as we move through the book.

It’s early in the year and I already feel like this may be one of my favorite books this year. I would be very happy to be proven wrong because that only means that I’ll have many more great books to look forward to, but this one was just incredible.

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

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Book Review | Strange Houses by Uketsu

Posted February 13, 2026 by Haze in Book Reviews / 2 Comments

Strange Houses by Uketsu

From the bestselling author of the wildly inventive Strange Pictures and phenomenon in Japan—unnatural layouts, trap doors, windowless rooms— a sinister conspiracy is concealed within a house’s warped and unsettling floor plans.

When a writer fascinated by the macabre is approached by an acquaintance, he finds himself investigating an eerie house for sale in Tokyo. At first, with its bright and spacious interior, it seems the perfect first home. But upon closer inspection, the building’s floor plans reveal a mysterious “dead space” hidden between its walls. Seeking a second opinion, the writer shares the floor plans with his friend Kurihara, an architect, only to discover more unnerving details throughout.

What is the true purpose behind the house’s disturbing design? And what happened to the former owners who disappeared without a trace? When a body suddenly appears and a young woman reaches out about a second house, it soon becomes clear that the writer and his friend may be in over their heads. Structured around a series of chilling floorplans, with Strange Houses, mystery-horror YouTube sensation Uketsu casts readers in the role of detective, inviting them to help map out the truth hidden within these puzzling floor plans . . . and the terrifying plot behind it all.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2026 52 Book Club Reading Challenge (Prompt #44: Literary Device: Personification)

The Reason

I was very intrigued by the idea and I think Japanese horror is in a league of its own.

My Thoughts

I borrowed the physical copy from the library after a long hold and there were many others waiting for the book after me, so I felt pressured to finish it quickly. I needn’t have worried though because from the moment I picked it up, I couldn’t put it down and I finished it in one sitting.

Personally, I felt like the mystery itself involved a lot of guesswork and theories by the writer and his friend that is unrelated to actual evidence, but the horror it unleashed is unparalleled and the journey getting there was chilling. I loved that the floorplans and diagrams were displayed so clearly, and I enjoyed how the story panned out in the end. There’s just something about Japanese-style horror that is otherworldly and gets me in the worst/best way.

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

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Book Review | Dolores Claiborne by Stephen King

Posted February 9, 2026 by Haze in Book Reviews / 0 Comments

Dolores Claiborne by Stephen King

“An unforgettable, unflinching glimpse into a mind driven to murder” (San Francisco Chronicle)—the #1 national bestseller from Stephen King about a housekeeper with a long-hidden secret from her past…one that tests her own will to survive.

Dolores Claiborne is suspected of killing Vera Donovan, her wealthy employer, and when the police question her, she tells the story of her life, harkening back to her disintegrating marriage and the suspicious death of her violent husband thirty years earlier. Dolores also tells of Vera’s physical and mental decline and how she became emotionally demanding in recent years.

Given a voice as compelling as any in contemporary fiction, the strange intimacy between Dolores and Vera—and the link that binds them—unfolds in Dolores’s account. It shows, finally, how fierce love can be, and how dreadful its consequences. And how the soul, harrowed by the hardest life, can achieve a kind of grace.

For the Reading Challenge(s):
The Stephen King Constant Reader Challenge
2026 52 Book Club Reading Challenge (Prompt #51: Includes a map)

The Reason

For my Stephen King challenge, and also because I heard this was one of the really good depictions of women King has written.

The Quotes

“Sometimes you have to be a high riding bitch to survive, sometimes, being a bitch is all a woman has to hang on to.”

“There ain’t no power in heaven or on earth that can stop people from thinkin the worst when they want to.”

“…the love a natural mother feels for her children. That’s the strongest love there is in this world, and it’s the deadliest. There’s no bitch on earth like a mother frightened for her kids.”

The Narrator(s)

Frances Sternhagen. She is absolutely perfect! Just perfect! I love her voice for this book.

My Thoughts

This was actually one of the first Stephen King books I bought but I wasn’t able to read it at the time because the format was difficult to get into and I ended up not finishing it. My original copy has long since been lost, but that’s okay as it turned out to be amazing to listen to on audiobook! The narrator is just so perfect, I cannot express just how amazing it was to listen to her, and I was so pulled into the story.

I watched the movie just last year, and of course, I love Kathy Bates in it and now that I’ve read the book, I think the movie was very faithfully and well done, but I have to say it; the book is better! Having Dolores pretty much narrating her whole life story in an interview format may or may not have worked for me when I tried to read it as a teenager, but listening to it on audio made it feel so much like she was talking to me personally. I love seeing the person Dolores is, as a mother, as a caregiver, as a woman just trying to do the best she can for the people she cares about. How many favorite Stephen King books can a reader have? Because this has become another one of my favorites!

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

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Book Review | Detective Max Rupert series (Books 1-5) by Allen Eskens

Posted February 6, 2026 by Haze in Book Reviews / 3 Comments

Detective Max Rupert series (Books 1-5) by Allen Eskens

College student Joe Talbert has the modest goal of completing a writing assignment for an English class. His task is to interview a stranger and write a brief biography of the person. With deadlines looming, Joe heads to a nearby nursing home to find a willing subject. There he meets Carl Iverson, and soon nothing in Joe’s life is ever the same. Carl is a dying Vietnam veteran–and a convicted murderer. With only a few months to live, he has been medically paroled to a nursing home, after spending thirty years in prison for the crimes of rape and murder.

As Joe writes about Carl’s life, especially Carl’s valor in Vietnam, he cannot reconcile the heroism of the soldier with the despicable acts of the convict. Joe, along with his skeptical female neighbor, throws himself into uncovering the truth, but he is hamstrung in his efforts by having to deal with his dangerously dysfunctional mother, the guilt of leaving his autistic brother vulnerable, and a haunting childhood memory. Thread by thread, Joe unravels the tapestry of Carl’s conviction. But as he and Lila dig deeper into the circumstances of the crime, the stakes grow higher. Will Joe discover the truth before it’s too late to escape the fallout?

The Reason

I accidentally came across the first book as I was browsing Libby. I read it and loved it and wanted more, and the other books were available so I borrowed them all at once!

The Quotes

“No sin could be greater than a sin that cannot be rectified, the sin you never get to confess.”

“But we do have control of how much of our soul we leave behind in this mess. Don’t ever forget that. We do still have some choices.”

“What if, in all the eons of eternity, this was the one and only time that I would be alive. How would I live my life if that were the case?”

“But it also means that this is our heaven. We are surrounded every day by the wonders of life, wonders beyond comprehension that we simply take for granted.”

My Thoughts

All the books in the series are different enough that I feel like I should do an individual post for each one, but they’re also linked as a series, and I have something to say about the series as a whole, so I decided to do one post for them all. Plus, I’m lazy, so there.

These books are listed under the Detective Max Rupert series, but many of them feature characters in other series written by the author. The first book, The Life We Bury, is primarily listed under the Joe Talbert series, and features Joe Talbert as the protagonist. I intend to read that series as well because I love the Joe Talbert character, but I’ll be writing this post from the point of view of Detective Max Rupert as the overarching character.

Book 1 – The Life We Bury
Narrated by Zack Villa. I loved his portrayal of Joe Talbert. No notes.
For the reading challenge(s) – TBD

The first book features Joe Talbert as the main character; Detective Max Rupert plays an important but minimal role, and if I hadn’t been looking out for him (because he is the series’ titular character) I might not even have remembered his name. I loved Joe Talbert as a character though, and I loved this particular story. Joe is a student writing a story for a school project who stumbled upon a case and felt the need to get to the bottom of the story. I loved how the story played out, how thrilling it got, and how it feels different from other thriller stories. At the end of it, I felt a little disappointed that I was going to move on to the next book in Detective Max Rupert’s series rather than Joe Talbert’s series (one was available while the other was not), but I am definitely looking forward to reading more about Joe Talbert in the future.

Book 2 – The Guise of Another
Narrated by Jonathan Yen. My least favorite of the series’ narrators, but possibly because the MC is my least favorite character as well.
For the reading challenge(s):
2026 52 Book Club Reading Challenge (Prompt #8: A three-syllable word in the title)

This one features Detective Max Rupert’s brother, Alexander Rupert. I expected to see more of Max Rupert this time, and I did, but interestingly, Max was a side character to Alexander’s main. I was very much pulled into the story and got very invested in all the characters, regardless of their role in the story. I didn’t like Alexander as a person but his character was very interesting, and I loved that the story shocked and surprised me with the direction it took. It’s not your regular police procedural and I love that.

Book 3 – The Heavens May Fall
Narrated by R.C. Bray, David Colacci, Amy McFadden. They were great. I love the different voices for the different POVs.
For the reading challenge(s):
2026 52 Book Club Reading Challenge (Prompt #2: Kangaroo word on the cover [Heaven – haven])

The main character in this one is Boady Sanden, a lawyer and long-time friend of Max Rupert’s. Boady makes an appearance in The Life We Bury, but we see a lot more of him and his backstory in this book. Max Rupert plays a part in this story, but again, doesn’t take center stage. There is also a Boady Sanden series that doesn’t include this book that I will probably check out at some point. In this book, Boady and Max are at odds because Boady is defending a person that Max had arrested and believes is a criminal. Lila Nash, who is Joe Talbert’s love interest in The Life We Bury, also makes an appearance here and I love seeing her again.

Book 4 – The Deep Dark Descending
Narrated by R.C. Bray. It was perfect, especially for how intense this story was.
For the reading challenge(s) – TBD

We finally see Max Rupert as the main protagonist in this book. Very much front and center, very much raw and intense. There is such an interesting exploration of Max’s history and psyche, mixed in between the chaos happening in real time, that’s just incredible to see happening on the page. We also see more of Niki Vang, Max’s partner, who is definitely one of my favorite characters in this series. It’s hard to talk about this book without giving away key elements, but it’s almost like the intensity I feel with The Count of Monte Cristo, obviously on a much smaller scale because The Count of Monte Cristo is incomparable.

Book 5 – Forsaken Country
Narrated by Brian Troxell. I enjoyed his narration very much.
For the reading challenge(s) – TBD

Max is still a main character in this story although the primary storyline is about a colleague’s missing adult daughter and grandson. He’s asked to help with the personal investigation as the acting sheriff doesn’t believe the missing persons are actually missing or in trouble. The story itself is as thrilling as all the previous books, but we continue to get some more exploration of Max’s character arc and I love that too. I love where we landed on by the end of the book, but I’m definitely curious to see if there will be more books in the series and where they’ll go.

Overall
I’m not sure how the author planned these books because of how different each one of them are, and the fact that the titular character of the series don’t play main character roles in the initial books, but I loved how they turned out! And to be honest, I think what I loved most about these books is the fact that they’re all so different and not formulaic at all; the first book being from a journalistic POV, the second more like a police procedural, the third a legal thriller, and so on. It does feel like I’m reading completely different books, yet they are all immersive and interesting in their own ways. I’m loving this experience and I’m very interested in reading more from the author!

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.

Four stars overall, because while I love the stories and find them very interesting on an intellectual level, I’m missing just a tiny bit of the emotional connection to the characters.

Have you read this series? Would you read this series? Did you like it or do you think you would like it?

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Book Review | Better Than Revenge by Kasie West

Posted February 2, 2026 by Haze in Book Reviews / 1 Comment

Better Than Revenge by Kasie West

A swoony new romance from the author of Sunkissed! When her football-player boyfriend and now ex lands the podcast job she’s been dreaming of, a girl takes matters into her own hands by enlisting the help of his nemesis to get revenge.

Seventeen-year-old Finley has only ever had one to become a famous podcaster. This includes coming up with the perfect pitch to land her on her school’s podcast team. But when her football-obsessed boyfriend, Jensen, decides to also try out—and uses her idea—she’s left confused and betrayed. 

Determined to get back at him, Finley and her friends try to find the perfect revenge scheme, but quickly discover that Jensen is almost-impossible to best. Keyword, almost. 

By chance, Finley discovers a knack for kicking and decides to take Jensen’s spot on the football team. To help her train, she recruits Jensen’s cute but conceited nemeses, Theo. Soon the two discover that their connection runs deeper than football. But Finley can’t let herself get distracted, and Theo has secrets of his own. Is true love really better than the perfect revenge?

For the Reading Challenge(s):
2026 52 Book Club Reading Challenge (Prompt #48: Related to the word “nemesis”)

The Reason

Still in the romance binge-read mood.

The Quotes

“We all make mistakes. It’s how we deal with our mistakes that really define our character.”

“When are you going to realize that I just want to be near you, Finley? All the time.”

“I came here for you,” Theo said suddenly, an intensity in his voice. He pointed to the picture. “Your grandma’s story is interesting and I know how much it means to you, but…I came here for you.”

My Thoughts

Finley may be a high-school student, but her feelings and issues are so relatable, and I was feeling them all with her. I was incensed with Jensen, bittersweet about her grandmother, grateful for her amazing friendships, excited about her podcast, determined with her training, and fluttery about her closeness with Theo. It was such a journey going through all of it with her, and I especially loved her grandmother’s stories.

I loved Kasie West and she was an automatic read for me at one point, but it’s been a while since I read her books and I thought it might be because I aged out of her target audience. And I have, sort of. I’m no longer a teen or young adult, but I have realized that good books transcends age, era, and any kind of demographic people box them into, and so I’m just reading whatever I want and loving the good books.

Also, I believe stories are important for the purpose of allowing us to see from other people’s points of view and learning empathy. I never want to forget what it was like to be a young adult or dismiss a young person’s feelings about what’s important to them. I think this story is a great reminder of that because of the parallels of Finley’s story along with her grandmother’s. I loved it!

My Rating

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5 stars.

Have you read this book? Would you read this book? Did you like the book or do you think you would like it?

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