This round is all about authors I had never read before, and I enjoyed all three books enough that I would give other books a chance. While the plot of Heiress Takes All was farfetched, I have to say it is the one I found the most entertaining.

As always, thank you to NetGalley for providing me with these ARCs.

april roundup

Heiress Takes All

Author: Emily Wibberley and Austin Siegemund-Broka
Publication Date: 6/4/2024

Olivia and her father have a strained relationship, to say the least; after he cheated on her mom, he kicked them out of their family home and Olivia’s life was no longer one of privilege. Now he is getting remarried – again – and Olivia is not about to celebrate. Instead, she and an eclectic group she’s assembled are going to take advantage of the chaos of the day to steal his money. What could possibly go wrong?

Throw in a lovelorn ex-boyfriend, cousins and another ex-wife seeking their revenge, and a nosy guest intent on making friends with the heisting crew, and Olivia is starting to think she is in over her head. Hijinks ensue as she tries to pull it off without losing her mind.

This is a fun book in that it reads like a decent teen movie. It is fast-paced with witty dialogue among the characters, and the villains help make it easy to root for Olivia and her team, even though they are doing something highly illegal.

Overall, the characters lack a bit of depth. For instance, Olivia’s father is almost a caricature of a selfish, philandering, and greedy villain. That being said, this is an entertaining read and, while the characters are not the most developed, they are smart and funny.

The In Crowd

Author: Charlotte Vassell
Publication Date: 8/6/2024

When a men’s rowing team finds a drowned body in the Thames, it leads to two seemingly unrelated cold cases being reopened, and Detective Inspector Caius Beauchamp finds himself in the center of it all.

With a missing CEO who absconded with the company’s retirement fund, a missing teenager from a sketchy boarding school, and a dead body at the theater, Caius has a lot on his plate. Add a chaotic love interest to the mix, and things are bound to get even murkier.

The second book in the DI Caius Beauchamp series, The In Crowd can also be read as a standalone. It is an interesting mystery, though the number of subplots could have been scaled down. With so much going on, it can be hard to keep track of each storyline.

Additionally, while the characters have the potential to be compelling, they could have been further developed. This would have added more depth to the relationship between Caius and his love interest Callie, as interesting backstories are alluded to but not deeply explored.  

Overall, this would make a fun beach read, though it will not lead to deep discussions.

Look in the Mirror

Author: Catherine Steadman
Publication Date: 7/30/2024

Catherine Steadman has created a compelling psychological thriller in her latest book, Look in the Mirror.

Nina is a loner in London grieving for the recent loss of her father; Maria is a struggling nanny living in New York and hoping to return to life as a medical student. Though they have never met, their lives are about to intertwine in a way they could never have predicted.  

When Nina’s unassuming father passes away, she is shocked to learn he left her a secret and extravagant vacation home in the British Virgin Islands. What else could he possibly have kept hidden from her? Meanwhile, Maria has accepted a new position with a family she has yet to meet, and that is not the only thing that seems off. What secrets are her new employer harboring, and is she even safe in their island home?

Steadman does a great job building tension throughout the book, even if the plot requires a suspension of disbelief. Shorter chapters help move it forward, and the puzzles Nina is tasked to solve add a fun element. The alternating viewpoints allow the reader to see how each character is connected, and it is especially easy to root for the scrappy Maria. While the outcome is less than satisfactory, it does leave it open for a sequel.

This would make a perfect pick to bring along on vacation, as it is a fun and fast read.

Until next time - cheers and happy reading! Follow me on Instagram for more updates!