May has been a chaotic month - reviews for Publisher’s Weekly BookLife Prize have started up again and are keeping me busy. I love having the opportunity to read books from independent authors in addition to the ARCs from NetGalley and, between the two, I’ve gotten to read some compelling stories. Here is my May recap for some of my most recent NetGalley reads.

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

may roundup

Dangerous Play

Author: Elise Hart Kipness
Publication Date: 9/17/2024

In the second installment of the Kate Green series, the title character is hopeful her coverage of the women’s Olympic soccer team will be enough to reignite her career as a sports reporter. After all, as a former player and Olympian herself, she can add a lot of insight.

Of course, nothing can ever be that simple. When a famous former teammate of Kate’s is found murdered, Kate finds herself forced to face secrets from her past as she investigates the gruesome death.

Kate is a likable protagonist; she is smart and willing to admit her shortcomings, meaning she does not typically do things to make the reader roll their eyes in frustration. It is refreshing for a main character to have self-worth rather than fall for romantic tropes. Her desire to make amends for her past only adds to her likability.

Fans of the first book in the series won’t be surprised to see Kate’s father reprising his role in this book. This time, the reader is given more insight into the hardened NYPD detective’s history. This allows a solid setup for the next book in the series.

While this is book two, it can be read as a standalone. However, the reader will gain more understanding of the full family dynamic by reading the first book. This series is a great choice for fans of the genre.  

The Examiner

Author: Janice Hallett
Publication Date: 9/10/2024

Janice Hallett is back with another fun mystery told through emails, texts, and essays in The Examiner.

Six students have been thrown together in the Multimedia Art course at Royal Hastings University. Coming from all walks of life, they bring chaos to the course from day one. While they work on their group art installation, tempers flare, especially with the youngest member of the course. When it becomes clear something darker is at play within the group, it is up to the reader to determine who can be trusted through the various forms of communication.

As with her earlier work The Appeal, Hallett uses forms of communication as narration to give the reader insight into the many personalities involved. This allows the reader to form immediate opinions of each person; it also allows the reader to change those opinions as more is revealed. There are some definite surprises along the way.

One challenging aspect of this book is how much focus is on the coursework itself. Many explanations could have been cut down to focus more on the mystery, which was interesting, if not convoluted.

I personally loved The Appeal, and so I enjoyed The Examiner. They are fairly similar; the interactions among characters lead to interesting dynamics and occasional humor, and the pacing makes for a fast read. This is a great choice if you are looking for a book to read on vacation.

The Debutantes

Author: Olivia Worley
Publication Date: 10/29/2024

Olivia Worley takes her readers deep into the high society world of New Orleans in this entertaining and smart YA thriller.

For New Orleans society, the Les Masques Ball is the event of the debutante season. Of course, everyone hopes this year’s is better than the last, when the queen ended up dead. When the new queen goes missing, three of the debutante maids must work together to find out where she is – and the truth about what happened to last year’s queen – all while being terrorized by a maniacal jester.

Told from the alternating views of three vastly different characters, the reader is given insight into the dark secrets of this privileged world. As each character searches for answers, it is also revealed how many misdeeds of their own they are trying to keep hidden. The result is a fun and clever thriller with plenty of twists to engage readers.  

The main characters are likable - even with their flaws. Worley does a nice job of giving each character a distinct voice and the rapport among them is believable.

Another nice element of this book is the way Worley writes New Orleans as a character. It is gritty but beautiful, haunted but lively, and a place where you can feel alone one minute and like you are home the next. The writing allows the reader to become immersed in the setting of the book, even if they have never been there before.

There are aspects of the book that could be hard for some readers (older men grooming young girls, for instance), but overall, this is an intriguing thriller and a definite one to add to the list if you enjoy the genre.

The Bachelorette

Author: Sandra Block
Publication Date: 9/3/2024

In Sandra Block’s latest, The Bachelorette, true crime junkie and aspiring crime reporter Alex is about to have a weekend right up her alley. Her best friends are whisking her away to the scene of the crime of the murder she has been obsessed with: The 666 Killer. What could go wrong at an isolated cabin where a gruesome killing took place?

At first, it is all fun and games, but when Alex wakes up covered in blood with both of her friends missing, she now finds herself in a nightmare. While Alex searches for her friends, the reader is taken back and forth from the present to the recent months, where more is revealed about Alex’s involvement and obsession with the 666 Killer.

Alex as a main character could be further developed; there is plenty to explore with her relationship, her future stepson, and the reasons behind her night terrors, but Block just lightly scratches the surface of these compelling areas.

It is intriguing how Block weaves the past with the present, allowing the puzzle pieces to fall into place. This makes way for surprises along the way, with plenty of unexpected twists. This keeps the reader engaged, though one twist is bizarre and too drawn out to the point where it becomes frustrating and takes away from the plot.

Overall, this is a quick and fun read for fans of the genre.

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