Margaret Agnew

Best of 2025: Reviewer’s Choice

by

Our reviewers, Margaret Agnew, Cathy Akers-Jordan, Vicki Kondelik and Carla Schantz, are all extremely discerning readers and all have shared their favorites for the year.  I so appreciate the yearly efforts of these wonderful reviewers, and their top 10 lists should help you find a good read.  Some have comments, some (like Margaret) have merely listed their selections in order.  All the choices have been given lots of thought.  Needless to say, their reviews appear on the website, and you can read more about them on the “Our Reviewers” tab here. read more

Julia Spencer-Fleming: At Midnight Comes the Cry

by

Clare Fergusson/Russ Van Alsytne #10

Julia Spencer-Fleming has been following the beloved duo of Clare Fergusson and Russ Van Alstyne throughout their entire relationship, and At Midnight Comes the Cry finds them at a period of great change. The couple have just had a baby, and are re-shaping their lives around their son. In addition, Russ has resigned as police chief earlier than intended and he isn’t quite sure what to do with himself. Going from the military to the police force kept his life regimented and task driven, and being a stay-at-home dad isn’t quite the same. read more

Louise Penny: The Black Wolf

by

Three Pines #20

Louise Penny’s The Black Wolf is a very direct sequel to The Grey Wolf, the previous instalment in Penny’s Inspector Gamache series. Much like its predecessor, The Black Wolf is firmly in the political thriller genre, not usual for most of the series, and dives deep into themes of environmentalism, Canadian and American politics, and the current state of our corner of the world. It is, in other words, incredibly topical and sees Gamache and Penny’s familiar cast embroiled in large scale conflict once again. read more

Catherine Lloyd: Miss Morton and the Missing Heir

by

Miss Morton #4

Not so long ago, Caroline Morton lost everything when her titled father died, leaving only debts and forcing her into service. Her employer, Mrs. Frogerton, treats her as a member of the family, however, and she likes being in control of her own fate. That free lifestyle is threatened when a claimant to the Morton earldom steps forward. In this fourth installment of the Regency set series by Catherine Llyod, Miss Morton and the Missing Heir, things get complicated quickly.

Mr. Scutton, the claimant, and his family arrive in town and want to meet Caroline. Caroline would rather have nothing to do with the Morton estate, as she can’t inherit anything herself anyway, but the Scuttons are immediately quite interested in her. Mrs. Scutton asks after her personal life, Mr. Scutton is much too interested in her marriage prospects and who she is friends with, and both are not the most polite. Even when Mrs. Frogerton offers to let them stay in her house to get to know Caroline so they don’t have to stay in a hotel, as the Morton home itself is run down and uninhabitable. read more

Katie Tietjen: Murder in Miniature

by

Maple Bishop #2

The second book in the Maple Bishop series, Murder in Miniature, finds Maple at a bit of a crossroads. Though she has started to find her place in her small town, with a thriving dollhouse business, new friends, and a new position with the local law enforcement, she isn’t quite settled. When she came out here, it was with her husband, to support his career. Maple grew up a city girl in Boston, and worked hard to earn a legal degree, something she hasn’t been able to make use of in small town Vermont. Even with all the good things going on in her life, does she truly belong? read more

Sarah Stewart Taylor: Hunter’s Heart Ridge

by

Franklin Warren and Alice Bellows #2

Hunter’s Heart Ridge is the second in Sarah Stewart Taylor’s Detective Frank Warren and Alice Bellows series, and it sees both of them returning with new challenges. Alice and Warren (no one seems to call him Frank) are neighbors, and have become good friends in the three months that have passed since the first book. Frank is still very much settling into his professional role, but he’s already become a fixture in this small community. He and his partner in crime solving, Pinky, are working well together, and he’s become familiar with everyone in town. Alice, on the other hand, is happy in her retirement and hosting a dinner party that includes Warren as a prominent guest. read more

Christina Dodd: Thus With a Kiss I Die

by

Daughter of Montague #2

Thus With a Kiss I Die is the second in Christina Dodd’s Daughter of Montague series, and it loosely follows the plot of Hamlet, complete with a ghostly father. Our protagonist, Rosie Montague, is the eldest daughter of Romeo and Juliet – who the series suggests actually survived the events of that play. Rosie has a hoard of siblings, a strong personality, and a romantic dilemma. In the previous book, Rosie had intended to be caught canoodling with her true love, Lysander, so they would have to be wed. Unfortunately for the pair, the podesta of Verona intervened, and ended up in the dark with Rosie instead. read more

E.L. Johnson: Winter’s Crown

by

The Winter Murders #2

Winter’s Crown, the second in E.L. Johnson’s historical mystery series picks up where the first book left off, directly after heroine Bronwyn saved Empress Maud’s life.* Despite her heroic act, however, Bronwyn’s life doesn’t change too much. She remains a cook, serving the empress with dwindling supplies in their ramshackle campsite. Separated from her family, as well as her friend Lady Alice and crush Rupert, Bronwyn is lonely and listless. She doesn’t even know for sure if her family is alive. read more

Katherine Reay: The English Masterpiece

by

Katherine Reay’s novel, The English Masterpiece, isn’t a murder mystery. Rather, it follows a high profile art forgery and the young assistant caught up in it. Lily Summers lands a job at the Tate Gallery in London, working under the first female Modern Collections keeper, Diana Gilden. The year is 1973, and Picasso has just died, rocking the art world. Diana and Lily rush to put together a show highlighting his career, and are able to do it in less than a month. One of the stars of the show is Woman Laughing, lent by prominent donor Edward Davies. read more

D.E. White: Everyone is Lying

by

Alexandra has built a perfect life based more than a little on a lie. When she was young, she worked for the Candy Girls – party favors for high class men – though she herself never slept with anyone. As the host of these debauched parties, she saw and heard much more than the other girls did. That included the events of the very last the Candy Girls hosted, where she saw something that has haunted, and followed her, her entire life. The aptly named Everyone is Lying by D.E. White starts when Alexandra’s house of cards starts to topple. read more