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It’s time to wrap up all the books we read in June 2024!
We managed to knock over all the books on our June TBR – woot woot! Didn’t find any 5 star reads this month, but we did enjoy a lot of stories and rated 8 books 4 stars!
We revisited some favourite authors, ticked a few titles off our list of award nominees, and discovered some new authors to follow!
Some quick stats before we get into the book reviews:
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Happy Reading, Friends!
This is a stand-alone novel.
Ford and Neuland are paranormal mercenaries – one living, one undead; one of them kills the undead, the other kills the living. When a job goes bad in New York, they head west to wait for the heat to cool down. There, a young woman named Tilda Rosenbloom hires them on behalf of wealthy landowner, Shepherd Mansfield, to track and kill a demon haunting a mansion in remote northern California. As Ford and Neuland investigate the creature they uncover a legacy of blood, sacrifice and slavery in the house. Forced to confront a powerful creature unlike anything they’ve faced before, they come to learn that the most frightening monster might not be the one they’re hunting.
Richard Kadrey is a hoot, and I’m always keen to check out his writing. If you haven’t been introduced to Kadrey’s ‘Sandman Slim‘ series yet, do yourself a favour and add it to your TBR. I enjoyed this stand-alone short novella, and would totally read a series based on the characters. While this is billed as a ‘haunted house’ book, I found it gave more ‘otherworldly creature’ and ‘mad power-hungry old man’ vibes. The story is atmospheric and to the point. A good short horror tale to add to your TBR between chunkier reads.
This is a stand-alone novel.
By day, Maeve Fly works at the happiest place in the world as every child’s favourite ice princess. By the neon night glow of the Sunset Strip, Maeve haunts the dive bars with a drink in one hand and a book in the other, imitating her misanthropic literary heroes. But when Gideon Green – her best friend’s brother – moves to town, he awakens something dangerous within her, and the world she knows suddenly shifts beneath her feet. Untethered, Maeve ditches her discontented act and tries on a new persona. A bolder, bloodier one, inspired by the pages of American Psycho.
Fans of body horror will probably eat this up. This story was grosser than those I’d normally read. I generally prefer my spooky books to be well in the ‘haunted house/possession’ category. I really enjoyed the scenes where Maeve is living her life as a Disney princess – even if CJ Leede steps around the issue in not unsubtle ways to avoid copyright lol. Not sure who I’d recommend this to, but can see how it would be popular for certain readers. I liked the discussion around how women are assumed to be inherently good – and when they’re not, there must be a traumatic backstory (which is not always the grace given to a man). An interesting story that stayed with me for awhile. Not for those with a weak stomach.
This is Book One in the ‘Annie McIntyre‘ series.
Annie McIntyre has a love/hate relationship with Garnett, Texas. Recently graduated from college and home waitressing, lacking not in ambition but certainly in direction, Annie is lured into the family business―a private investigation firm―by her supposed-to-be-retired grandfather, Leroy, despite the rest of the clan’s misgivings. When a waitress at the café goes missing, Annie and Leroy begin an investigation that leads them down rural routes and haunted byways, to noxious-smelling oil fields and to the glowing neon of local honky-tonks. As Annie works to uncover the truth she finds herself identifying with the victim in increasing, unsettling ways, and realises she must confront her own past―failed romances, a disturbing experience she’d rather forget, and the trick mirror of nostalgia itself―if she wants to survive this homecoming.
Excited to continue with this series, and glad I stumbled across Samantha Jayne Allen as an author. There are 3 books in this series, with Book 2 ‘Hard Rain’ nominated for a memorial award as part of the 2024 Edgar Awards. While not quite a 5 star read for me, there were solid and well-defined characters and it was a well-paced story. I kinda guessed where the plot was going, but didn’t mind in the wrap up. Keen to see how the private investigator career expands for our main character Annie, and her mentorship with Mary-Pat.
This is a stand-alone non-fiction book.
Capture Everything – Free your mind by jotting down every task or idea, ensuring you never feel overwhelmed by forgotten responsibilities. Clarify and Apply – Learn to break down tasks, turning an overflowing inbox into a source of clarity and direction. Organise and Reassess – Master the art of categorising and scheduling tasks, allowing you to adapt and refocus as situations change. Reflect and Unstick – Dive into routine reviews and strategies to move past stalled projects, giving you confidence even when faced with confusion or anxiety. Engage with Peace – Tackle tasks head-on and gain the emotional resilience to feel fine about what you’re not doing.
While technological developments have aged this text a bit, the underlying messaging on how to manage multiple priorities without going insane – still makes this worth a read. I found a lot of this info really helpful to realign how I was attacking my work projects, and some passion projects at home. A great refresher that will potentially shed light on a new way of managing your workloads.
This is a stand-alone novel.
It’s the summer of ’74. Richard Nixon has resigned from office, CB radios are the hot new thing, and in the great state of Texas two cousins hatch a plan to drive $1 million worth of stolen weed to Idaho, where some lunatic is gearing up to jump Snake River Canyon on a rocket-powered motorcycle. But with a vengeful sheriff on their tail and the revered and feared marijuana kingpin of Central Texas out to get his stash back, Chuck and Dean are in for the ride of their lives – if they can make it out alive.
Nominated for ‘Best Paperback Original’ in the 2024 Edgar Awards. This was a giggle – fast-paced and silly with lots of bad decisions and damaged people looking for an excuse to go rogue. I’d definitely pick up another book by Von Doviak, and would be keen to see what else is on offer in the Hard Case Crime collection.
This is a stand-alone novel.
Outside the island there is nothing: the world destroyed by a fog that swept the planet, killing anyone it touched. On the island: it is idyllic. 122 villagers and 3 scientists, living in peaceful harmony. The villagers are content to fish, farm and feast, to obey their nightly curfew, to do what they’re told by the scientists. Until, to the horror of the islanders, one of their beloved scientists is found brutally stabbed to death. And they learn the murder has triggered a lowering of the security system around the island, the only thing that was keeping the fog at bay. If the murder isn’t solved within 107 hours, the fog will smother the island – and everyone on it. But the security system has also wiped everyone’s memories of exactly what happened the night before, which means that someone on the island is a murderer – and they don’t even know it.
This had more of a futuristic science-fiction/speculative fiction base to it, than I initially thought going in. It gave me similar vibes to that of Justin Cronin’s ‘The Ferryman‘ that I read last month. Turton is a gifted storyteller and this book kept me interested til the end. Think it’s probably my least favourite of the 3 he’s written so far, but I’m still a Turton fan and will leap to pick up his next release. I love that he’s enjoying writing in different genres, even if it’s not what his readers may expect.
This is a stand-alone novel.
A former presidential candidate is assassinated in one of the rooms at the opulent Claremont Hotel. A rich industrialist, Walter Wilkinson could have been targeted by any number of adversaries. But Detective Al Sullivan’s investigation brings up the spectre of another tragedy at the Claremont ten years earlier: the death of seven-year-old Iris Stafford, a member of the wealthy and influential Bainbridge family. Some say she haunts the Claremont still. The many threads of the case keep leading Sullivan back to the three remaining Bainbridge heiresses, now adults: Iris’s sister, Isabella, and her cousins Cassie and Nicole. Determined not to let anything distract him from the truth – not the powerful influence of Bainbridges’ grandmother, or the political aspirations of Berkeley’s district attorney, or the interest of Chinese first lady Madame Chiang Kai-Shek – Sullivan follows his investigation to its devastating conclusion.
I had high hopes for this one. Nominated for a variety of awards in the 2024 ITW Thriller Awards, Edgar Awards & CWA Dagger Awards – this novel has a lot of admirers! I listened to the audio version as well as trying to read along with the hardcopy, but I just couldn’t get hooked. Chua has obviously spent a lot of time researching the history of the period and location – though for me, it came at the expense of character development and a tighter plot.
This is a stand-alone short-story collection.
‘Two Talented Bastids’ explores the long-hidden secret of how the eponymous gentlemen got their skills. In ‘Danny Coughlin’s Bad Dream’, a brief and unprecedented psychic flash upends dozens of lives, Danny’s most catastrophically. In ‘Rattlesnakes’, a sequel to Cujo, a grieving widower travels to Florida for respite and instead receives an unexpected inheritance – with major strings attached. In ‘The Dreamers’, a taciturn Vietnam vet answers a job ad and learns that there are some corners of the universe best left unexplored. ‘The Answer Man’ asks if prescience is good luck or bad and reminds us that a life marked by unbearable tragedy can still be meaningful. King’s ability to surprise, amaze, and bring us both terror and solace remains unsurpassed. Each of these stories holds its own thrills, joys, and mysteries; each feels iconic. You like it darker? You got it.
Short stories are not really my bag, but Stephen King is top-tier in my list of favourite authors so I was very ready to dive into this collection. This book was the Fishbird Central Book Club pick for June – and I think a 4 star average isn’t too bad! True to form, my favourites were the novella/longer length stories, as we tend to get a chance to know and feel for the characters a bit better. I was keeping an eagle eye out for any King Universe references. There was a ‘deadlights’ reference in the ‘Two Talented Bastids’ story – ‘Your world is a living breath in a universe that is mostly filled with deadlights.‘ (p47). The ‘Rattlesnakes’ story is a throwback to the ‘Cujo’ characters, and I perked up at the ‘Duma Key’ references in this one – a fun story, with creepy ghost kids. Think I’d read ‘The Turbulence Expert’ in another short-story collection, but it was an interesting tale. All in all, a decent collection from King, but bring on the next novel! 🙂 What did you all think of this collection?
This is a stand-alone novel.
After being dragged into the Salpêtrière asylum screaming, covered in blood, and suffering from amnesia, Josephine is diagnosed with what the nineteenth-century Parisian press has dubbed “the epidemic of the age” hysteria. It’s a disease so uniquely baffling that Jean-Martin Charcot, the Salpêtrière’s acclaimed director, devotes popular lectures to it, using hypnosis to elicit fits and fantastical symptoms in front of rapt audiences. Young, charismatic, and highly susceptible to this entrancement, Josephine quickly becomes a favourite of the powerful doctor and the Parisian public alike. But her true ally at the Salpêtrière is Laure, a lonely ward attendant. As their friendship blossoms into something more, the two women find comfort and even joy together despite their bleak surroundings. Soon, Josephine’s memory returns, and with it images of a gruesome crime she’s convinced she’s committed. Ensnared in Charcot’s hypnotic web, she starts spiralling into seeming insanity, prompting a terrified Laure to plot their escape together. First, though, Laure must solve a grim mystery: Who, really, is the girl she’s grown to love? Is Josephine a madwoman . . . or a murderer?
I think the blurb for this one is a bit deceptive, as the main character perspective is more from Laure than Josephine. The history of the Salpetriere asylum was really interesting and confronting – the use of hypnosis to further the science and discovery, often at the expense of the women committed. This read really well, and I flew through it. Nominated for ‘Best Novel’ in the 2024 Edgar Awards, this is definitely worth a read for lovers of historical fiction.
This is Book One in the ‘Steinbeck and Reed‘ series.
Summer 1980: Despite the local superstition that the Bendy Man haunts the woods, 3 girls go into a Minnesota forest. Only one comes out, dead silent, her memory gone. The mystery of the Taken Ones captures the nation. Summer 2022: Cold case detective Van Reed and forensic scientist Harry Steinbeck are assigned a disturbing homicide—a woman buried alive, clutching a heart charm necklace belonging to one of the vanished girls. Van follows her gut. Harry trusts in facts. They’re both desperate to catch a killer before he kills again. They have something else in common: each has ties to the original case in ways they’re reluctant to share. As Van and Harry connect the crimes of the past and the present, Van struggles with memories of her own nightmarish childhood—and the fear that uncovering the truth of the Taken Ones will lead her down a path from which she, too, may never return.
Nominated for ‘Best Paperback Original’ in the 2024 Edgar Awards, this was a fun read. I was expecting it to be a bit more supernatural, with the eerie cover and mention of ‘the Bendy Man’ – but aside from some lite-X-Files vibes (if you know, you know) this was a fairly standard policy procedural. Our main detective duo are interesting – both damaged characters, with a lot of back story to unpack. I’d be keen to read the second book in this series.
This is Book One in ‘The Tea Ladies’ series.
Sydney, 1965 – After a chance encounter with a stranger, tea ladies Hazel, Betty and Irene become accidental sleuths, stumbling into a world of ruthless crooks and racketeers in search of a young woman believed to be in danger. In the meantime, Hazel’s job at Empire Fashionwear is in jeopardy. The firm has turned out the same frocks and blouses for the past twenty years and when the mini-skirt bursts onto the scene, it rocks the rag trade to its foundations. War breaks out between departments and it falls to Hazel, the quiet diplomat, to broker peace and save the firm. When there is a murder in the building, the tea ladies draw on their wider network and put themselves in danger as they piece together clues that connect the murder to a nearby arson and a kidnapping. But if there’s one thing tea ladies can handle, it’s hot water.
This one wasn’t my cup of tea, I’m afraid 😉 I was fully on board with Hazel as a character though, and would have liked to have followed her more if the focus stayed more on the investigation of the dead body, as opposed to the goings on in the fashion house. This was missing a hook for me, but I’m sure it has an audience, and it’s always good to read a cosy mystery set in Oz.
This is Book One in the ‘Desiree Shapiro’ series.
Desiree Shapiro, New York P.I. is no hard boiled shamus. She has dimples in her knees, elbows, and some unmentionable places. Desiree is a chubby gumshoe who has a mind as sharp as a Cuisinart and a queen size talent for sleuthing. Her heart is pretty big too, which is why she agrees to take the case of the poor grocery kid accused of killing the old lady in apartment 15D for the money stashed in her freezer. Sure, the boy’s fingerprints on the refrigerator make the problem sticky, but only until there’s yet another murder in the same building. Before anyone can say Haagen-Dazs, Desiree bets she will be able to finger the real killer. She’s detoured by dinner with a bachelor, but he, unfortunately, turns into a suspect. So while her love life is chilling out, Desiree cooks up a scheme to trap a lean, mean, decidedly unsavoury killer.
This was a fun story, and nice to read a cosy mystery where our main character actually has some credentials and reason for being involved in the crime lol. I’d read more from this series. The focus on Shapiro (unlike in the synopsis) isn’t totally focused on her weight, but does acknowledge she’s a plus sized character, which is also something not common to this genre. There are 15 books in this series, so lots to sink your teeth into, if you’re interested!
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