I read 20 new-to-me mysteries this year, including one I’d been sitting on for… er…. nine years.
Because I didn’t want to finish the series.
No, I don’t understand how my brain works either.
~ 8.5/10 ~
Self-published
This story has what can be seen as paranormal elements, but they aren’t presented as such so I choose not to classify it as such.
This is set in the Interwar period. Joel Wildsmith returned from the war minus a hand, and has been making his way as best he can, which isn’t that great.
Joel had spent a year or more fighting to get the hook. The Ministry for Pensions had made things entirely clear in their literature at the end of the war. “You are going back to ordinary civil life,” the leaflet had said, “and it is up to you to make yourself as fit for that work as possible.”
He runs up against Aaron Fowler, a police detective who doesn’t like the corruption he sees in the force, and he doesn’t like people taking advantage, which is what he things Joel is doing.
(It was) quite right that he had no qualifications and no proof that he could do what he claimed. Joel’s only defence was the fact that he could do it.
Historical, Queer, Romance
We Solve Murders #1
Sometimes when I love one series, a different series by the same author is either a disappointment or just something that doesn’t work for me.
But after listening to the audio books for the Thursday Murder Club series I decided to give We Solve Murders a try.
“Your passport will be checked in the Arrivals Suite,” says Brad. “Then Border Protection. They never check bags, though.”
Steve is relieved—he doesn’t need a bored man with a gun questioning why he’s only packed three pairs of underpants.
It was just as delightful.
Pamela Dorman Books
~ 8/10 ~
The Ill-Mannered Ladies #2
The second book find Gus still railing against their brother, who insists upon trying to control both sisters, and trying to come between Gus and Julia.
Which isn’t a good thing when they are hiding one fugitive and Gus wants to meet up with a different one.
Like the first book, this book is somewhat dark, primarily in how it insists upon portraying much of the past as it was, not as we wish to see it.
“Do not be ridiculous, Augusta,” Duffy said. “Whitmore is an Oxford man and a trusted member of Liverpool’s government. You cannot fling around preposterous accusations about men of good standing.”
It’s another good story, but don’t assume from the cover that it is a cozy.
Berkley Prime Crime
Historical, Queer
The Ill-Mannered Ladies: The Benevolent Society of Ill-Mannered Ladies (2023), The Ladies Road Guide to Utter Ruin (2025)
Lady Darby #13
The 13th Lady Darby book sees Emma’s first birthday coming up, and Kiera confused by her mood and reactions to what should be a joyous occasion.
I knew I was being ridiculous. Naturally, Gage was absorbed with the inquiry. All I needed to do was speak up and tell him I was troubled, and he would attend to me. I knew this, and yet the words stuck in my throat, stifled by my own insecurities.
After living through the abuse dealt by her first husband, a modern reader isn’t surprised by her responses, but PTSD isn’t something that existed then, so Kiera sees her feelings and reactions as weakness and something she should be able to control, which makes dealing with their current inquiry even harder.
Berkley Prime Crime
Historical
Lady Darby: The Anatomist’s Wife (2012), Mortal Arts (2013), A Grave Matter (2014), A Study in Death (2015), A Pressing Engagement (2016), As Death Draws Near (2016), A Brush with Shadows (2018), An Artless Demise (2019), A Stroke of Malice (2020), A Wicked Conceit (2021), A Perilous Perspective (2022), A Fatal Illusion (2023), A Deceptive Composition (2024), A Tarnished Canvas (2025)
A Caribbean Kitchen Mystery #4
The end of the third book felt a bit like a cliffhanger to me, but it apparently wasn’t, and here we pick up after the worst of the pandemic, as people are starting to put their lives back together and Miriam is appreciating having not been involved in any murders since the end of the third book.
Spoiler: Her streak of no murders is ended.
Even more unfortunately, she is expected to help out her utterly horrible mother-in-law.
The more Marjory talked, the looser she got. The museum that she (and Senior) had ‘paid for’ was supposed to be more about ‘our history’ and less about ‘Indians.’
Crooked Lane Books
Cozy, Food
Caribbean Kitchen Mysteries: Mango, Mambo, and Murder (2021), Calypso, Corpses, and Cooking (2022), Barbacoa, Bomba, and Betrayal (2023), Dominoes, Danzón, and Death (2024)
A Shady Hollow Mystery #6
This is the final Shady Hollow book, and not only do we revisit most of the characters from the previous book, we also learn what led Vera to flee the city in the first place.
She huddled under the comforter, curled into a near-perfect circle with her paw over her snout and her tail wrapped protectively around her, in a vain attempt to shut out the world.
Sadly, one of the characters making a return is Bradley Marvel.
“First, we aren’t friends. Second, last time you were here, you were told to leave Shady Hollow and never come back. And third, never call me cute. Not if you want to live long.”
I’m sad the series is over but glad they chose to go out while they were still enjoying writing it.
Vintage
Cozy, Fantasy, Mystery, Queer
Shady Hollow (2015), Cold Clay (2017), Mirror Lake (2020), Evergreen Chase (2021), Twilight Falls (2023), Phantom Pond (2023), Summers End (2024)
The Chronicles of Brother Cadfael #20
This is the book I’ve not read for almost a decade, simply because I didn’t want to series to actually be over.
Nevermind that I have the collection of three novellas still in my TBR pile.
The Brother Cadfael series is just so comforting to read, despite the fact it’s set during the time of English history referred to as The Anarchy.
The voices of cold reason were talking, as usual, to deaf ears.
Set in 1145, written in 1994, some things are as true as ever.
MysteriousPress
Historical, Cozy
Brother Cadfael: A Morbid Taste for Bones (1977), One Corpse Too Many (1979), Monk’s Hood (1980), Saint Peter’s Fair (1981) The Leper of Saint Giles (1981), The Virgin in the Ice (1982), The Sanctuary Sparrow (1983), The Devil’s Novice (1983), Dead Man’s Ransom (1984), The Pilgrim of Hate (1984), An Excellent Mystery (1985), The Raven in the Foregate (1986), The Rose Rent (1986), The Hermit of Eyton Forest (1987), The Confession of Brother Haluin (1988), The Heretic’s Apprentice (1989), The Potter’s Field (1989), The Summer of the Danes (1991), The Holy Thief (1992), Brother Cadfael’s Penance (1994)
A Moveable Feast #7.6 (2025) Self-published
This novella sees Kat forced to go to someone else’s house and kitchen to prepare a holiday meal for a friend of Mrs. Bywater’s whose own cook has fallen sick.
“Is his lordship all right?” I asked Mrs. Bywater. “Considering.”
“Lord Babcock is made of stern stuff,” Mrs. Bywater said decidedly. “He still has an heir, so all is not lost.”
She’s so awful.
A Silence in Belgrave Square #8 (2025) Berkley Prime Crime
This may or may not be the final book in the series, as it ends with Daniel finally free of Monaghan, although she herself is still working as a cook.
So I’m hoping we’ll at least get one more book that sees Kat with her own tea shop and Cynthia away from Mrs. Bywater and the rest of her family.
Cynthia pursed her lips. “I’m not certain we should show these awful things to Thanos. He becomes very upset when someone is disparaging to ladies, bless him.”
And hopefully getting married to Thanos.
Cozy, Historical, Queer
Kat Holloway: A Soupçon of Poison (2015), Death Below Stairs (2018), Scandal Above Stairs (2018), Death in Kew Gardens (2019), Murder in the East End (2020), Death at the Crystal Palace (2021), The Secret of Bow Lane (2022), The Price of Lemon Cake (2023), Mrs. Holloway’s Christmas Pudding (2023), Speculations in Sin (2024), A Measure of Menace (2024), A Moveable Feast (2025), A Silence in Belgrave Square (2025)
Mavis Miller Mysteries by Elise Bryant
It’s Elementary (2024) #1 (9/10)
Mavis lives with her retired father, so he can lend a hand when needed as she’s a single mom.
It’s not that her daughter’s father isn’t in the picture, it’s that he’s a touring musician and just not around.
The “Daddy Tracker” is what Pearl calls Find My Phone, the app and website that we use to track where Corey is every night.
To be clear, she uses the app because her ex is trying to be as much a part of Pearl’s life as he can be, not because Mavis is stalking Corey.
The trouble comes when the heat of the PTA corners Mavis to try and force her to head the PTA’s DEI group. And then Mavis sees that PTA mom dragging black trash bags out of the school the same night the principal (with whom Nightmare PTA Mom had just fought) disappeared.
I read the second book, The Game Is Afoot (2025) and it is well done, but I didn’t rate it because for almost the entire book Mavis is in denial about her anxiety and PTSD and that was too nerve-wracking to read for me to enjoy it at all.
Berkley
Cozy
Mavis Miller Mysteries: It’s Elementary (2024), The Game Is Afoot (2025)
Berkley: 5
self-published: 1
Vintage: 1
Pamela Dorman: 1
MysteriousPress: 1
Favorite mystery covers of 2025
The Books of 2025
My favorite books of the year were:
