Crooked Kingdom by Leigh Bardugo

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More from Kaz and his Crows!

17yo Kaz and his crew are working together to get Inej back after she was kidnapped to be used as a trade for the young scientist who knows how to make the drug parem that increases Grisha power. This drug has become a highly sought after commodity because of its incredible strength but it has dire consequences for severe addiction. Nina is fighting that addiction after she took parem just one time so she could save the crew. The group is staying steadfast by her side and helping her fight the need for the drug. Another problem has cropped up involving Jesper’s father; he has been used as bait to lure Jesper and the Crows out of hiding so now Kaz is taking care of him too and helping get the money to save his family farm. Wylan finds out the truth about his mom that supposedly died when he was eight and how his father placed her in an insane asylum and divorced her to claim her money. All these situations intertwine to create another book full of complex schemes masterminded by Kaz Brekker, leader of the Crows.

Likes/dislikes: I love the humor. The cleverness and complex schemes kept me on my toes. The loyalty is priceless.
Language: R for 68 swears and 1 f-word.
Mature Content: PG-13 for passionate kiss.
Violence: PG-13 for bloody shot, explosion, bloody fights, and a fatal fall.
Ethnicity: Jesper is brown and his Dad is Kaelish-dark red hair and salt-white skin; Kaz is white, Inej is Suli (a Grisha heritage), and Nina is white.

The Silent Patient by Alex Michaelides

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The best twist I didn’t see coming!

Alicia (painter) loves her husband but stops herself from thinking too deeply about how far she would go to be one with him. Next, she’s accused of murdering him after being found in their home with her wrists cut and her husband chained to a chair dead from a shooting to his face.
Then Theo, a psychotherapist, is introduced and he’s hired for a job at Grove, the hospital where Alicia now resides.
Theo breaks through Alicia’s silence and she gives him her diary. This gives Theo insight into Alicia’s trauma and evidence of the murder.
I don’t want to say more because it may spoil it for future readers, but this is an encompassing book full of intelligent twists! I highly recommend reading this intense murder mystery!

You Can Trust Me by Wendy Heard

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Riveting mystery!

32yo Summer and 22yo Leo are con artists and thieves who prey on rich people and they’re very good at it. Summer comes from a hippie lifestyle and her mom never gave her a last name and she doesn’t have a clue who her father is or where her mom has been for the last fifteen years after she left so Summer could “spread her wings”. Leo left her desolate family after her sister died because everyone was so depressed and when her parents looked at her they became sad all over again because Leo looks so much like her deceased sister Amber. When Leo doesn’t keep in contact with Summer for a day, she assumes Leo is missing. She’s determined to find her and make sure she’s alright but when the guy Leo was with denies being with her still, Summer worries that the worst has happened. Riveting mystery! 5 stars!

Likes/dislikes: The story kept my attention and I didn’t want to put it down. I liked learning the backstory of Summer and Leo and the mystery was nicely intertwined. I don’t appreciate the book being promoted as young adult because it is written for adults as the characters are full-fledged adults.
Language: R for 100 swears and 24 f-words.
Mature content: R for somewhat detailed sex and gaslighting.
Violence: PG-13 for strangulation and shooting.
Ethnicity: White and olive skin main characters and mixed races present in side characters.

The Lake House by Sarah Beth Durst

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Ominous!

Claire has been sent on an enrichment retreat by her parents. She meets Reyva and Mariana who have also been sent to “grow through experiences” at The Lake House summer camp. The three soon discover that nothing is what they expected. The danger builds along with the creepy foreboding. The teens learn that they have to run and hide to save themselves because no one is coming to help.

Likes/dislikes: I enjoyed the whole mystery of the story. I like how ominous the reveal was. The three main characters grew on me.
Mature content: PG for brief kiss, survival struggles such as hunger and dehydration.
Violence: PG-13 for finding a body killed by shooting, being shot at, being held at knife point, suicidal death by gunshot with no details.
Language: PG-13 for 14 swears, no f-words.

Legends and Liars by Morgan Rhodes

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A fun read!

17yo Joss, Prince Elian, Viktor, and Jericho are hiding from the Queen after escaping the palace. Prince Elian wants to be cured of his beastly curse, Viktor wants to help his brother Jericho, and Joss wants to learn more about magic in the kingdom, and all of them want to be free. The more Joss learns about magic, the more she wants to know. She’s learned that everyone is born with magic but they’ve been deceived by the royal family for centuries to believe magic is dangerous and anyone found with magic will be sentenced to death. The queen has been using magical people secretly for her own benefit all along and Joss wants the world to know, even though she’s risking her life and those she cares about to expose the deception.

Likes/dislikes: This book is a fun read. I enjoyed the mystery surrounding the kidnapping of Celina. The character growth blossomed in this book.
Language: R for 78 swears, no f-words.
Mature content: PG for brief kiss with no details.
Violence: PG-13 for bloody fighting to the death.
Ethnicity: Joss, Jericho, Viktor, Prince Elian, and Celina are white. Other characters are described as having light brown skin.

Dead of Winter by Darcy Coates

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Creepy and twisty!

Christa and several strangers are on a bus to Blackstone Alpine Lodge in winter when they are stopped by a fallen tree across the road. Christa and Kiernan are on the trip so he can share with her the memories he made with his family at Blackstone Alpine Lodge in years past. The two wander off while the other bus passengers work on moving the tree. A storm hits and Christa falls out of Kiernan’s reach. She’s found later by the rest of the group but Kiernan is lost. The group soon discovers that a killer is in their midst when they’re taken out one by one and their heads are displayed on the large tree next to their cabin shelter. Creepy and surrounded in mystery to the very end! 5 stars!

Likes/dislikes: I enjoyed the double layer mystery, the creepiness factor and suspense. I thoroughly enjoyed the twists.
Mature content: gentle kisses
Violence: R for several bloody deaths by decapitation and heads being displayed on tree branches.
Language: PG-13 for 16 swears and no f-bombs.

Echoes and Empires by Morgan Rhodes

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Twist after twist!

17yo Josslyn lost her father, the Prime Minister, to an assassin a year ago during the Queen’s Gala. She’s attending the current Gala to support Celina, her best friend and the first daughter of the present Prime Minister, and to help Celina gain confidence. While at the Gala, Josslyn wanders to the art treasures display and accidentally absorbs magic when an artifact opens during the robbery she walked into. The robber, Jericho, knows the magic will cause swift action and punishment for Josslyn if the Queen finds out because she has completely banned all magic, so the two of them run and end up in the Queens prison after they search for help in removing the unwanted magic and discover they have something in common: the same assassin that killed Josslyn’s father, Lord Banyon, also killed Jericho’s parents. The magic Josslyn absorbed shows her Lord Banyon’s memories from sixteen years ago when he was being tortured and she continues to have these memories in full force, showing her a side of Lord Banyon that isn’t cruel at all. Lazos is the prison overlord and also a warlock who used to be the queen’s magic advisor, so Josslyn and Jericho ask him to get rid of the unwanted magic, but he strikes a deal first; Jericho must kill the beast in the prison before Lazos will help them. When the beast is discovered, many more secrets are revealed and the danger has just begun.

Likes/dislikes: This book is such a fun read! I enjoyed the humor and sarcasm. There’s plenty of action. The story is entertaining almost immediately and I loved the twists.
Mature Content: PG-13 for brief, passionate kissing and underage drinking.
Language: R for 115 swears and no f-bombs.
Violence: PG-13 for bloody kicking, bloody shooting and bloody death.
Ethnicity: Josslyn is white, the queen is white, Overlord is olive skinned, and all shapes, sizes and skintones are at the Fight Club.

Enola Holmes and the Mark of the Mongoose by Nancy Springer

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Another awesome mystery with Enola Holmes!

Once again 17yo Enola becomes inadvertently involved in a mystery when a customer asks for help from the new false identity she’s using, Dr. Ragostin. This new London mystery is a missing man who was bitten by a rabid dog. His sister Caroline and best friend Rudyard Kipling ask for help in finding him. Enola throws herself into the search and comes across strange characters, a strong leader and an odd group with the mark of the mongoose. She’s determined to find the missing man no matter how much danger she puts herself in.

Likes/dislikes: I like how the author ties history into the fictional Enola Holmes’ stories. The author states what’s true history and what’s fictional in the ending notes. I enjoy Enola’s perseverance, bravery, and generosity.
Mature content: none
Language: PG for 6 swears and no f-bombs.
Violence: PG for fighting.
Ethnicity: Predominantly white.

Curses by Lish McBride

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Wonderfully descriptive and charming characters!

17yo Merit is cursed to be a beast until she agrees to marry someone who her mother approves of. She meets 19yo Tevin, a professional conman, and they strike a bargain. Merit’s mother has set her up with three worthy candidates and Tevin is going to help Merit navigate their intentions because she doesn’t trust her instincts after being jilted by her boyfriend Jasper. Jasper left Merit after her mother offered him money to leave. Merit feels trapped by her mother and she doesn’t feel anything for the three candidates. As she confides in Tevin, the two of them become friends and more. As they work together, they unknowingly walk into danger and discover deception and they’re going to have to rely on each other more than they realize.

Likes/dislikes: I enjoyed the wonderful descriptions of the setting. The humor is cute and funny. I grew to love the charming characters.
Mature content: PG for brief passionate kissing.
Language: PG for 7 swears and no f-bombs.
Violence: PG-13 for bloody death of an animal.
Ethnicity: Merit is white, other characters are of mixed ethnicity, including fairy.