Not a Happy Family by Shari Lapena

 

Title: Not a Happy Family

Author: Shari Lapena

Publisher: Pamela Dorman Books

Release Date: July 27, 2021 

In this family, everyone is keeping secrets--especially the dead. Brecken Hill in upstate New York is an expensive place to live. You have to be rich to have a house there. And they don't come much richer than Fred and Sheila Merton. But even all their money can't protect them when a killer comes to call. The Mertons are brutally murdered the night after an Easter Dinner with their three adult kids. Who, of course, are devastated.

Or are they? They each stand to inherit millions. They were never a happy family, thanks to their capricious father and neglectful mother, but perhaps one of them is more disturbed than anyone knew. Did one of them snap after that dreadful evening? Or was it someone else that night who crept in with the worst of intentions? It must be. After all, if one of your siblings was a psychopath, you'd know.

Wouldn't you?

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A terrible Easter!

Fred and Sheila Merton are found murdered in their expensive home in Brecken Hill, upstate New York.

Their adult children had been with them for Easter dinner, but they all left abruptly after a heated argument with their father.

Their aunt—Fred’s sister—claims he was changing his will to benefit her. Is she telling the truth, or is she lying?

Who killed them? Was it one of the children? The nanny? Or one of the spouses/boyfriend?

You have to read it to find out.

I’m new to this author, but now I’ve read several of her books. I didn’t like any of the characters—they were all so entitled. Yet that took nothing away from the entertainment. I was desperate to know if I was right about the murderer.

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

The Heartbreak Hotel by Ellen O'Clover

Title: The Heartbreak Hotel

Author: Ellen O'Clover

Publisher: Berkley Romance

Release Date: September 23, 2025

A bed-and-breakfast for the brokenhearted might hold the key to another chance at love in this achingly hopeful debut romance.

Louisa Walsh emerged from a tumultuous childhood with a degree in counseling, a wealthy boyfriend, and her sunny outlook on life mostly intact. But that optimism is tested when she’s dumped and left unable to afford rent on their gorgeous house in the mountains of Colorado. Even with her life in disarray, Lou knows losing the one stable place she’s ever called home is not an option.

Her plan: ask her reclusive landlord, Henry Rhodes, to let her stay for free in exchange for renting out the house’s many rooms as a bed-and-breakfast. She’s shocked when he agrees to her terms, and even more surprised to discover Henry is a handsome thirtysomething veterinarian with silver at his temples and sadness in his eyes. One who does not take it well when Lou starts marketing her B and B as a retreat for the recently heartbroken.

But as the Comeback Inn opens its doors to its weary, hopeful guests, Lou and Henry find themselves dancing around both their undeniable connection and the closely held secrets that threaten to topple this fragile new start. A chance at love, here, could be too close to home…or it could be exactly where their hearts finally heal.

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Louisa Walsh is nursing a broken heart. The love of her life has dumped her—not only was he cheating, but now, on her own, she can’t afford the rent on their beautiful home in the Colorado mountains. She risks losing the place she’s poured countless hours into making her own.

But Louisa doesn’t give up. She hatches a plan to turn the large house into a bed-and-breakfast. The only hurdle? Convincing her landlord, Henry Rhodes, to agree.

Louisa had always assumed Henry was older, but when she visits him at work to pitch her idea, she discovers her mistake. Henry is young—and the local veterinarian.

The more Henry helps with the chores around the property, the more he and Louisa realize they share a real connection.

I really enjoyed this love story. Both main characters were healing from heartbreak and found common ground in that shared pain. I loved that Louisa had a strong support system and that she chose to pay it forward by helping others who were hurting just as she had been.

Cliffhanger: No

3.5/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by Berkley Romance via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ghost Business by Jen DeLucaBoneyard Key #2

 

Title: Ghost Business 

Series: Boneyard Key #2

Author: Jen DeLuca

Publisher: Berkley

Release Date: September 9, 2025

Clashing ghost tours lead to a sizzling romantic rivalry in the second romance in the new series from USA Today bestselling author Jen DeLuca.

Boneyard Key, Florida, is the only home Sophie has ever known. Her love for its supernatural history has flourished into a career, as she guides the one and only ghost tour through the town’s can’t-miss haunted spots. And while her bank account isn’t full by any means, her heart is. Or at least, it was.

But there's a newcomer in town. The son of a Fortune 500 businessman, former theater kid Tristan has grown his tours from a fraternity fundraiser to a multicity ghost tour conglomerate. It’s doing well, but not well enough—if he can’t prove that he’s solidly in the black by the fall, Dad’s going to pull his funding, spelling the end of his career. Boneyard Key, with its haunted reputation, seems like the perfect place to boost his bottom line.

When the two ghost tours clash, Sophie’s expletive-filled rant goes viral, and the rivals strike up a deal. Whoever has the most successful business by summer’s end stays, while the loser must ghost. But the more Tristan comes to appreciate Boneyard Key, the more Sophie comes to appreciate Tristan, and what starts as begrudging respect becomes something spicier. Can they put their feuding businesses aside to make room for a chance at love, or is Boneyard Key too small for two ghost tours?

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A ghost story!

The town of Boneyard Key, Florida, is full of real ghosts—we learned that in the first book, Haunted Ever After.

That’s also where we met our heroine, Sophie, the local ghost-tour guide. She takes her job seriously, grounding every story in accurate history because she genuinely respects the spirits around her. Sophie loves her friends, but she still feels lonely and misses her grandmother deeply.

Her quiet life gets upended when newcomer Tristan launches his own ghost tour. Unlike Sophie, Tristan doesn’t care about accuracy—he’s all about entertainment and fun. When a heated argument between them goes viral, Tristan sees dollar signs. Realizing the town can’t support two competing tours, they strike a deal: they’ll share profit numbers, and whoever earns less by the end of summer has to shut down their tour for good.

I adore Sophie—she’s sweet, honorable, and so easy to root for. Tristan was tougher to warm up to at first (he’s the outsider trying to push her out of the job she loves), but he grew on me, and I ended up completely okay with how everything resolved.

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs

A complimentary copy was provided by Berkley via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

What Happens in the Dark by Kia Abdullah

Title: What Happens in the Dark

Author: Kia Abdullah

Publisher: HQ

Release Date: June 19, 2025 

Lily and Safa were best friends growing up. Now, Lily is the nation’s favourite breakfast TV presenter and Safa, once a renowned journalist, is reeling from a recent fall from grace.

When news breaks about suspicious bruises on Lily’s body, Safa attempts to rekindle their old friendship. But Lily claims the bruises are nothing to worry about.

And then one night the police are called to Lily’s home. Lily is strangely calm – and a body lies dead at her feet.

Lily pleads not guilty, and then says nothing more. Driven by her desire to give a voice to all victims, Safa begins her own investigation into what happened that night.

But Safa is not prepared for what her quest for justice will uncover …

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My first by this author, but definitely not my last!

Lily Astor is a famous breakfast TV presenter. Everyone believes her life is perfect until a bruise appears on her face. Has she been abused by her husband? She immediately denies it.

Safa Saleem is a journalist at a small paper after losing her job at a major one. Her boss asks her to look into Lily’s story, and since Safa grew up with her, she decides to give Lily a call.

Safa and Lily used to be best friends, but when Lily got accepted to college without telling Safa, their friendship began to fall apart.

Safa is also investigating the “Glassman,” a man who breaks into the homes of elderly Asian women and rapes them. Safa believes that because these women are Asian like her, they’ll open up and she’ll be able to tell their stories.

Then the cops are called to Lily's home. Someone is dead.

What Happens in the Dark was addictive. I guessed the main plot twist, but I was still invested in the delivery.

One thing I didn’t like was an unresolved storyline. Maybe there will be a sequel?

Cliffhanger: Yes

4/5 Fangs

A Happy Marriage by A.R. Torre

 

Title: A Happy Marriage

Author: A.R. Torre

Publisher: Thomas & Mercer

Release Date: June 24, 2025

What holds a strong and loving marriage together? Lies and secrets in a novel of twisting psychological suspense by a New York Times bestselling author.

Los Angeles homicide detective Dinah Marino may have a complicated relationship with her family, but her psychiatrist husband, Joe, makes her feel safe, secure, and happy. She couldn’t want for a more loving or trusting man. But throughout their ten-year marriage, she’s been keeping a secret from him—a secret she’d take to the grave.

Dr. Joe Marino loves his wife more than anything in this world, but there are things he’s learned to keep close to the chest. When a missing woman tied to his wife’s latest case is admitted to his hospital, doctor-patient confidentiality lands their marriage on some new and uneven ground.

As Dinah digs deeper into her case, tension works its way inside their picture-perfect home. Now the carefully constructed lies between them don’t just simply threaten the delicate balance of their marriage—they could kill.

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What an over-the-top plot!

Dinah Marino is an LAPD homicide detective leading a new case: a woman has been found dead, and her daughter, Jessica, is missing. Ever since her partner died, Dinah has worked alone—until the department saddles her with rookie Freddie Hodgkins. She is not thrilled.

Dinah’s husband is Dr. Joe Marino, a respected psychiatrist who teaches and runs his own private clinic. On the surface, Dinah and Joe have the perfect marriage—ten years of absolute bliss. The catch? Dinah is hiding an enormous secret, and she knows their relationship only works because of total trust. So what happens when Joe realizes something is off? And how does the current missing-person/murder case collide with that secret?

I have to say—this dysfunctional marriage was wildly entertaining. Their crazy, addictive dynamic had me hooked. I only wish it hadn’t spiraled quite so far out of control. I finished the book with a bunch of unanswered questions.

As an Alessandra Torre fan, I’ll read anything she writes.

Cliffhanger: No

3/5 Fangs

The Last Party by Clare MackintoshDC Morgan #1

 

Title: The Last Party 

Series: DC Morgan #1

Author: Clare Mackintosh

Publisher: Sourcebooks Landmark

Release Date: November 8, 2022

At midnight, one of them is dead. By morning, all of them are suspects.

It's a party to end all parties, but not everyone is here to celebrate.

On New Year’s Eve, Rhys Lloyd has a house full of guests. His vacation homes on Mirror Lake are a success, and he’s generously invited the village to drink champagne with their wealthy new neighbors.

But by midnight, Rhys will be floating dead in the freezing waters of the lake.

On New Year’s Day, Ffion Morgan has a village full of suspects. The tiny community is her home, so the suspects are her neighbors, friends and family—and Ffion has her own secrets to protect.

With a lie uncovered at every turn, soon the question isn’t who wanted Rhys dead…but who finally killed him.

In a village with this many secrets, murder is just the beginning.

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A killer party!

On New Year’s Eve, local celebrity and opera singer Rhys Lloyd throws the party of the year at his luxury development, The Shore. He invites the wealthy new residents—along with a handful of locals.

On New Year’s Day, Rhys is found floating dead in the icy waters of Mirror Lake.

Who killed him—and why?

The investigation falls to DCI Ffion Morgan (North Wales Police) and DC Leo Brady (Cheshire Constabulary, England side). The border runs straight through the lake, so the two forces must work together.

The more we learn about Rhys, the real question becomes: why wasn’t he killed sooner—and who didn’t want him dead?

The Last Party is quite atmospheric, with Mirror Lake at the heart of everything. Rhys was a truly awful human being, so his murder came as no surprise at all.

The only downside was the sheer number of characters—it got a bit overwhelming at times. That said, I absolutely loved both leads, Ffion and Leo. Knowing this is the start of a series, I’m already looking forward to reading the next installment.

Cliffhanger: No

3/5 Fangs

Pray for Silence by Linda CastilloKate Burkholder #2

 

Title: Pray for Silence

Series:  Kate Burkholder #2

Author: Linda Castillo

Publisher: Minotaur Books

Release Date: June 22, 2010

The Plank family moved from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, to join the small Amish community of Painters Mill less than a year ago and seemed the model of the Plain Life—until on a cold October night, the entire family of seven was found slaughtered on their farm. Police Chief Kate Burkholder and her small force have few clues, no motive, and no suspect. Formerly Amish herself, Kate is no stranger to the secrets the Amish keep from the English—and each other—but this crime is horribly out of the ordinary.

State agent John Tomasetti arrives on the scene to assist. He and Kate worked together on a previous case during which they began a volatile relationship. They soon realize the disturbing details of this case will test their emotional limits and force them to face demons from their own troubled pasts—and for Kate, a personal connection that is particularly hard to bear.

When she discovers a diary that belonged to one of the teenaged daughters, Kate is shocked to learn the girl kept some very dark secrets and may have been living a lurid double life. Who is the charismatic stranger who stole the young Amish girl’s heart? Could the brother—a man with a violent past, rejected and shunned by his family and the Amish community, have come to seek out revenge? As Kate’s outrage grows so does her resolve to find the killer and bring him to justice—even if it means putting herself in the line of fire.

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I flew through this novel. I mostly listened to the audio version, and the narrator was phenomenal.

Once again, we’re back in the small town of Painters Mill, Ohio, where the Amish and the “English” coexist—though not always in harmony.

Chief of Police Kate Burkholder is called to investigate the horrific slaughter of the Plank family: parents and all the children, including a tiny baby.

Who could commit such an evil act?

Kate and her small department won’t rest until they find the answer. She’s joined again by state agent John Tomasetti. Their relationship began in the first book, but neither is any good at talking about feelings or what they actually want from each other.

Fair warning: this installment is very descriptive about the murders. If graphic details bother you, you might want to skip it—though the series is so good that I’d hate for you to miss out.

I’m completely invested in Kate. I love that she’s flawed and makes mistakes. John Tomasetti is another beautifully damaged, highly likable character. I really hope he stays for the long haul.

Cliffhanger: No

4/5 Fangs