Reviewed by Ronél Steyn for Readers' Favorite

Adam Smith brings us historical fiction saturated in mystery in The Journey of the Snake. Charlotte Savatier is on her way to Charleston, South Carolina, with her Wacataw uncle, to join her husband. Major Savatier was sent to Charleston to investigate the murder of a French prisoner of war. Upon their arrival, Charlotte learns that her husband has died, and now she has to take over his investigation. And the man she is to report to is the one man she despises the most – the man who caused the death of her parents and took over their home. With her is Heathcliff, the infamous anti-hero from Wuthering Heights. He has his own greedy agenda that could cause Charlotte’s plans to fall apart and share her husband’s fate.

Author Adam Smith has written a superb story that will keep you engaged from start to finish. It is clear how much research went into making this mystery as authentic as possible, and it pays off. The pacing starts steadily and builds to a phenomenal climax that reveals the plot. Some scenes are achingly descriptive, which thoroughly elevated the story. Character descriptions are generously detailed, making each player easily likable, relatable, and in some cases, immediately despicable. I loved the interwoven cultures and the strengths associated with each. I especially loved the meaning behind the title and will forever hold this view close to my heart. The Journey of the Snake is suitable for anyone who enjoys mystery and solving murders. This one will keep you guessing until the end.

Reviewed by Alma Boucher for Readers' Favorite

M.L. Condike’s The Doll from Dunedin: A Genealogy Mystery follows forensic genealogist RaeJean Hunter. A jogger discovers the body of Jill Harriet Hamilton in Central Park, with her loyal dog lying beside her. A lawyer hires RaeJean to locate the primary beneficiary named in Jill’s will, which stipulates that the estate will pass to Columbia University if no heir is found within a year of Jill’s death. Six months have already passed, and RaeJean is in a race against time to find the heir. During RaeJean's search, she came across the decades-old disappearance of heiress Dorothy Arnold. This forced RaeJean to unravel two mysteries at once. Supported by her husband, Sam, RaeJean follows a trail of clues that leads to a doll once owned by Jill. As strange events unfold, RaeJean becomes convinced the doll is trying to communicate with her.

The Doll from Dunedin by M.L. Condike had my attention from the first page. The writing was out of this world in a mix of history, mystery, and the supernatural. The supernatural is intertwined with the plot, and it felt natural. The story was well researched, and the genealogical forensic detail was fascinating. I could not read enough about it and learned a lot. The characters were authentic and relatable. RaeJean is an expert genealogist, and her husband, Sam, supports her. Together, they are an excellent team. Some aspects are based on the truth, and Condike’s notes at the end of the book described everything in detail. This book was brilliantly written and can be read as a standalone. The book held my attention throughout, and I cannot wait to read the next book.

Reviewed by Grant Leishman for Readers' Favorite

A Necessary Death by Terri Karsten takes readers on a journey back to pre-revolutionary America as the new country was beginning to discover its identity. Penelope Corbitt and her two children are traveling from Philadelphia to Boston with her brother-in-law, where they will all enter into some form of service. With Penelope’s husband seemingly long gone and Penelope required to pay off his gambling debts, she has little choice but to accept her curmudgeonly brother-in-law’s offer of assistance. An accident leaves the carriage with a broken axle and an unexpected delay at a small, run-down tavern whilst the carriage is being repaired. The surprise discovery of a dead body in the tavern’s outhouse leads Penelope and the local constable, also the tavern owner, on a search for just who might have killed the town’s parson.

A Necessary Death is a well-written and carefully plotted historical “whodunit” that will appeal to lovers of mysteries, historical fiction, and crime novels. Author Terri Karsten has created a delightful character in Penelope Corbitt, a woman who has faced her fair share of troubles from her wastrel husband, yet remains determined to create a better life for her children. Not only was she prepared to stand up to the men around her, an uncommon trait for women of her time, but she also had a high degree of intelligence and common sense. The treatment of and attitudes of the European settlers toward their Native American compatriots, as well as their black slaves, were fascinating. Although the story is set in the North, where attitudes toward slavery were less harsh than in the turbulent South, it was still clear that for many inhabitants, the Native Americans and blacks were considered to be a lower class of humanity. I was surprised to discover that the common name for an outhouse in the 1760s was, in fact, a 'necessary,' which gives new meaning to the title. This is a short, fun, cleverly constructed read that I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend.

Reviewed by Grant Leishman for Readers' Favorite

Echoes From a Missing Generation by Christina Suzann Nelson is a “whodunit” with a difference. At the height of the Vietnam War, as America’s youth were being called up to serve their country, many questioned what America was doing, sacrificing their young men in a foreign war far across the world. For newlyweds Bristol and Clara Danes living in small-town Oregon, the draft was a horrifying reality. Bristol’s draft number was up, and he was off to take his army medical before induction. As he left their house that morning, nobody, least of all his pregnant wife, realized they would never see Bristol again – he simply disappeared that day. Fifty years later, court reporter Kenzie Danes, Bristol’s granddaughter, is intrigued by the mystery of her grandfather, a story that her grandmother has kept close to her chest all these years. Clara truly believed that the love of her life would return. Kenzie is determined to finally uncover the truth of her grandfather’s disappearance, and with the help of Frank, an experienced investigator, she slowly begins to unravel a litany of lies, secrets, and half-truths in both her family and in the small town of Oscar’s Creek.

Echoes From a Missing Generation is a fascinating read. This is the first time I have read a split-time, cold case mystery, and it was intriguing. Told from multiple perspectives across a fifty-year time difference, we see Clara and Bristol as a young couple, very much in love, with their life being disrupted by an inconvenient and difficult-to-comprehend foreign war. At the same time, we see Kenzie’s perspective, looking at her grandmother today and marveling at how she had coped with the gossip, innuendo, and finger-pointing of the town after Bristol’s disappearance and yet remained loyal and true to his memory. Christina Suzann Nelson has created a well-written, cleverly plotted, multi-layered mystery that will appeal to a wide variety of readers. I appreciated the tight-lipped manner and loyalty to her husband that Clara displayed over the years, despite the overwhelming evidence to the contrary. Her belief in Bristol’s innocence was paramount, and it would take all Kenzie’s considerable efforts to unravel the truth behind his disappearance. By spreading the story across two distinct time periods, the author has produced more than just a cold case mystery. Her recounting of the family and small-town dynamics of Vietnam-era America reveals a complex social commentary on the viewpoints and discussions that were taking place around the dining tables of most households of the period. This is a heartwarming, yet tragic love story that transcends time and place and reminds us that everything is not always as it seems. An easy and enjoyable read that I highly recommend.

Reviewed by Jamie Michele for Readers' Favorite

Gail Meath’s Hellcat, book nine in the Jax Diamond Mysteries series, is set in October 1923, when detective Jax Diamond responds to a fatal fall inside the Plaza Hotel and recovers a gold heart-shaped locket from an elevator shaft, a detail that quietly unsettles what appears to be an accident. Within days, a gang enforcer is found hanging beneath the Brooklyn Bridge, marked by lipstick and a black rose, echoing the recent death of Chicago crime boss Victor Vitali. As forensic links surface across state lines, Jax traces a pattern that suggests deliberate coordination aimed at powerful figures within organized crime. While the city braces for retaliation amid the World Series celebrations, Jax follows the trail of the locket through nightclubs and hotel corridors toward Death Row Dotty, a woman moving unseen through both cities, driven by a purpose that reaches into the highest ranks of the underworld.

Gail Meath’s Hellcat does a fantastic job of putting readers right into Prohibition-era America, with meticulous attention to period detail. We are there when Doctor Gettler compares the ballistics of a Mauser to shell casings in early twentieth-century lab science, and later when Meath brings in blasting powder used in 1923 mining operations. Jax Diamond is the protagonist who brilliantly anchors the series, and he remains perfectly equipped to draw someone back from a Manhattan rooftop or follow the trail of a Hamilton pocket watch. Jax aside, it is actually his mother, Winifred Diamond, whom I love. She's a former Pinkerton agent working undercover for the Bureau, and I would 100% read every prequel to this series to find out her story. Meath fleshes out every character, including Death Row Dotty, who is an ultra-calculating adversary. From a smoke-filled billiard hall where a Chicago crime boss convenes, to the fourteenth floor corridor of a gunfire-cracking Ritz Carlton, Meath offers a period mystery for all readers. Very highly recommended.

Reviewed by Divine Zape for Readers' Favorite

The Whistle of Revenge by KD Sherrinford is a captivating historical mystery that draws inspiration from the world of renowned detective Sherlock Holmes and the talented Irene Adler, set against the evocative backdrop of Milan, Italy. Jack Stapleton is a man consumed by revenge, and he will do anything to achieve it. So, with the help of the Italian mafia, he kidnaps Holmes’s son as part of Operation Whistle. The abduction of Nicco shatters the idyllic life that Sherlock and Irene have enjoyed after years of marriage and shared adventures. The narrative follows their journey from the romantic serenity of a Venetian holiday to the dark and dangerous pursuit of the kidnappers, revealing a web of betrayal, espionage, and revenge. Can they rescue their son and unravel the dangerous web of crime and intrigue?

KD Sherrinford is a gifted storyteller. This author creates a tale of mystery filled with suspense and intrigue. The setting is meticulously detailed and stunningly executed. The author infuses a sense of the ominous in the setting, especially Venice and Milan, and also captures the cities’ allure. The characterization is excellent with Sherlock, a brilliant detective who has emotional flaws, and his wife, Irene, depicted as wise and consistent. The tension escalates as the conflict deepens, involving kidnappers with hidden motives, a web of deceit involving the criminal underworld, and personal betrayals that threaten to destroy Sherlock and Irene. The Whistle of Revenge is a well-delivered mystery that is as suspenseful as it is emotionally resonant.

Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite

An Improbable Scheme by Laura Beers follows Lady Elsbeth Caldwell, who suspects her stepfather, Alfred Stockton, is hiding secrets, possibly connected to her father’s death. Disguised as a highwaywoman, she mistakenly intercepts Niles Drayton, the Earl of Westcott, drawing him into her dangerous pursuit. As Elsbeth digs deeper, she uncovers coded meetings, financial schemes, and attempts on her life, including a near-fatal shooting and a falling planter. Her cousin Charles pressures her into marriage to access her dowry, while Alfred grows increasingly evasive. Throughout, Elsbeth’s tentative alliance with Niles grows as he offers aid, challenges her choices, and becomes something of a protector. After recovering a key, searching Alfred’s desk, and witnessing a clandestine meeting between Alfred and her late father’s solicitor, Elsbeth resolves to follow her mother and Alfred to a village meeting, convinced they hold the final pieces to a dangerous conspiracy surrounding her father’s death and her inheritance.

“I will not run. Not yet. There are still too many unanswered questions. But if I do decide to leave, it will be because I choose to, not because I’m being forced.” An Improbable Scheme by Laura Beers is a fantastic tale set in the Regency era, and our protagonist, Elsbeth, is a refreshingly unconventional heroine with a sharp wit. As a “girl dad,” I am always looking for reads that reflect stronger stories, factual or fictional, driven by women, and Elsbeth's refusal to be defined by societal norms totally fits the bill. The evolving connections between the characters come about in brilliant, cinematic scenes, including a pheasant shoot gone awry and a stolen moment of trust. The dialogue feels natural, and Beers' ability to spin all the plates without dropping a single one is a testament to her skill as a writer. With its beautifully drawn setting, machinations, and spirited characters, An Improbable Scheme serves up an enjoyable read with a little romance, a lot of mystery, and loads of female-forward high jinks. Very highly recommended.

Reviewed by Mimie Odigwe for Readers' Favorite

Jax and Laura Diamond, along with their dog, Ace, travel to Niagara Falls for their honeymoon. As they cross the threshold of their exquisite hotel bedroom, they discover something strange on the bed. They find a skeleton, a nonsensical riddle, a gold cross, and a lone peanut. Their friends Lieutenant Tim and his wife Clara soon arrive to help solve the case. The remains belong to a cold case from ten years before, and all leads point to their friend Orin, who had arranged their honeymoon. As more bodies turn up at the bottom of Niagara Falls, the group has to decipher the riddle, save their friend, and somehow still enjoy their honeymoon in Wildcard by Gail Meath.

The eighth book in the Jax Diamond Mysteries, Wildcard is a stand-alone with no cliffhangers and an exhilarating journey. With only 24 hours to solve the case, tension mounts, and the turns get more twisted, keeping the detectives on their toes and readers guessing. Laura and Clara are not docile characters who sit back in horror. They are at the center of the action, working with their husbands and helping crack the riddle and arrest the murderer. Etta is a lovable character. She is chatty, elegant, and a godsend to the team. Wildcard is set amongst various tourist sites in Niagara Falls and the historical Clinton Hotel. The accompanying images helped me visualize each location and added to the thrills of a honeymoon gone awry, secrets from the past, an unpredictable plot, and a lovely dog. Gail Meath will stun readers with this historical murder mystery.

Reviewed by K T Bowes for Readers' Favorite

In Justice for Emerson, Karen E. Osborne presents a cast of characters that crosses many cultural lines, highlighting past and existing taboos between Black and White Americans, especially in the realm of relationships. Aria is a plucky Black woman striving to make a difference in a White, male-dominated world. Her focus is on using a struggling charitable trust to influence the circumstances of those suffering from poverty and a lack of opportunity. But when she finds a quiet and reliable volunteer murdered at her shelter, she confronts his killer and fights back, putting a target on herself. Emerson’s death seems to have no explanation. Who would kill a homeless recovering addict who’d turned his misfortune into the fuel needed to help others? Ordinarily, no one would care about the death of an insignificant and invisible man. But Aria cares and, in seeking justice for Emerson, she uncovers a conspiracy with roots stretching back over fifty years.

Justice for Emerson is fast-paced, with snappy dialogue and raw honesty. It’s packed with valuable historical information about the US involvement in the Vietnam War, the political temperature amongst the active forces, and the devastation felt by Black soldiers at the assassination of Martin Luther King and JF Kennedy. It gives a perspective of abandonment, which I had never truly recognized before, and provides an understanding that I will take away with me. Karen E. Osborne’s clever threads connect two generational stories from the past to the present and span over fifty years, culminating in the murder of an unassuming man. The main character of Aria is compassionate, vulnerable, and smart while being heartbroken and filled with self-recrimination. The tangle of the love triangle between Aria, Jax, and Errol is a clever reflection of the historical one between Mo, Emerson, and Kiki decades earlier. And fate, coincidence, and rotten bad luck bring a fifty-year mystery forward to the present day.

Reviewed by Jennifer Reinoehl for Readers' Favorite

Murder in Moonlight is a cozy mystery/sweet romance by Mary Lancaster. Solomon Grey arrives at a house party and discovers London madam Constance Silver parading as the widowed Mrs. Goldrich on the arm of the host and hostess’s son. He soon discovers that just as he is there to determine if the host, Mr. Winsom, kidnapped his twin brother many years ago, she is there to discover if Mr. Winsom is her father. Instead, together, they find Mr. Winsom dead with a knife sticking out of his back in the garden. With Solomon toeing the lines of propriety and Constance flinging her profession in his face, will they be able to work together to help the police solve the case?

Murder in Moonlight is a Victorian-era plunge into intrigue. Constance and Solomon are strong leading characters supported by a plethora of interesting secondary murder suspects. Even the police inspectors are strong characters and do not bungle the case. I find it refreshing that Mary Lancaster has police who are not reduced to idiotic stereotypes while, at the same time, she used Mr. Grey and Ms. Silver to help them solve the murder more quickly. The plot is developed logically, with each suspect being interviewed by both the police and the main characters, with only a few being ruled out by the end reveal. It was interesting to see how the police took clues given to them by Constance and Solomon and further investigated those leads to develop them. The book was fast-paced, and I read it in a single sitting. I highly recommend this book.