America's Founding Myths...And What REALLY Happened, by Christy Mihaly, Marta Sevilla (Illustrator)

 

Publication May 26, 2026

This would make a great addition to just about any classroom, especially history classrooms. The set up is simple, a brief intro to the usual history we're taught. In other words, the myth. Then comes the fun sections. Where did this myth come from? I mean, given the danger and stealth needed, does anyone really believe Paul Revere went racing through the night on a borrowed horse shouting "The British are coming!" at the top of his lungs? The authors explain he various myths, in other words, and how/why they came into the world as supposed common knowledge. Then, we get the true story.

I would wish for a bit more whimsy, ie humor, but the book meets its goals, nevertheless. The illustrations are bright and colorful, see cover, and lots of color info boxes, speech bubbles, activities and such throughout the book to help capture and keep a child's attention. I particularly liked the introduction that explains in simple terms where we get historic stories from. Make sure you read it. The contents are in a fun way, each given a colorful box with a snippet of what's within to capture attention. Each is illustrated. I'll also note that space is given to a discussion of not just Native American's roles and treatment but slavery and the role of blacks in such events as the Revolution are covered. Kudos for that inclusion. Finally, at the end, comes a section on how to determine truth from fiction or simply a made up tale because it served a purpose at the time or simply was entertaining. You can also learn a bit about the authors and how the information was researched as well as some of the experts consulted. There's also a table of contents and for those still curious, a QR code and URL are included for more. 

Bottom line, definitely a quick, handy reference that can help students decipher fact from fiction. Thanks #PublisherSpotlight and #BarefootBooks for allowing this former history major and teacher an early peek into one of her favorite topics, American history. I'd recommend it to teachers or just anyone who wants to learn more about some major events of American history as well as where, how, and even how these stories originated. 

 

 

Road Trip, by Mary Kay Andrews

 

Publication June 2, 2026

If I had to summarize this book in one sentence, I'd say it's a book about connections, both with family and others. Maeve and Therese Dunigan may be sisters but they're nothing alike. Or, are they? Brought together again after their mother's death, they squabble but agree to their mother's last request, that they travel to Ireland to investigate their family heritage. There's also the question of an old, maybe valuable, maybe not, portrait of their supposed grandmother. One of the background stories involves their mother having squandered their inheritance, basically, to take out a second mortgage on their family home, the money going to a fast talking televangelist who solicited money constantly. There's also a sexy distiller at Tarrymore Mansion, which was their mother's childhood home until she mysteriously sailed to America. And, well, more, but those are the highlights of the sister's journey with them, first, learning to tolerate each other than, gradually, connect in more ways than they'd ever thought possible. 

I liked both sisters, to be honest, though probably related more to cautious, do-the-right-thing Maeve more than Theresa, the wild child of the two. A wannabe actress, she's rarely settled in one spot for long and lived, let's call it, life in the fast lane. Liam, the Irish romantic interest of Maeve, is substitute tour guide the day Maeve and Therese arrive and Maeve feels an immediate attraction, so you know this will be part of the big story. Even some of the characters that initially appear a bit, well, off-putting, turn out to be simply quirky and are ultimately relatively likable....sorta. Not saying more about that as you'll see how it plays into the plot. The plot flows fairly well, with interesting side trips to share the countryside with us or even offer a bit of insight into not just the current day but flashbacks to not just the sisters' mother's Irish life but her arrival at Ellis Island and how those coming through the island as immigrants were treated and the uncertainty of what lay before them. The former history major in me was intrigued, particularly knowing some of my own ancestors surely traveled those same walkways. Just as the two sisters are learning and reflecting on past events while trying to sort out their futures, readers may find such pertinent personal moments to also reflect upon. Oh, and there's a dog, too. Grin. 

Bottom line, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The sisters, while connected by blood didn't feel close but found out they had more in common than they knew. The bits of mystery connected to the portrait and what really happened to make their mother leave Ireland so suddenly were an intriguing part of the story, as were the point of view from their mother of her early days in America. It was fun to see both Maeve and Therese not just come together as sisters but find romance, too, Maeve, with her long tendency to play things safe, after a shove from Therese. Thanks #StMartin'sPress for introducing me to them and giving me an early peek into their lives via a fun, virtual trip to Ireland. Some of those pubs are wild! 

Gingerbread, Garlands, & Gunshots / AUDIO VERSION (A Camper & Criminals Cozy Mystery Series Book 42), by Tonya Kappes

 

Available May 26, 202    AUDIO VERSION    4H 40M

It's been quite awhile since I've popped into Normal to catch up with Mae West, now married to Hank, so I was delighted to stumble across this audio version. Narrator Johanna Parker does an excellent job creating different voices for the various characters that help capture their personalities well. I definitely loved her Dottie voice, direct, no holds barred, and to the point. The chapters are simply announced and then the story moves along. The pace is relatively quick but author Kappes still makes time to set the scene for us. And a lovely sounding Christmas snow globe setting Normal sounds like. Unfortunately, the mood of some of the characters isn't as, uh, "peace on earth" sounding. Harper Stewart, chair of the town's Gingerbread Gala has pretty much managed to aggravate just about everyone. It didn't come as a shock that she was the murder victim.

I won't go into the plot further other than to say that we learn quite a bit about Hank's family this go round, including his strained relationship with Bev, his mother. She and Mae have never quite come to a calm, accepting relationship but, well, even Mae is finding it difficult to believe Bev might be the killer. Let's just say, there's a backstory there that you'll discover. The suspects are neatly laid out, so to speak, and Mae, usually with Dottie, tackles each. Her tendency to want to be in the middle of investigations hasn't changed in the time I've been awol, I noted, nor has her tendency to wind up putting herself in danger. Mae and the Laundry Ladies have their work cut out for them as the suspects are friends and seem unlikely, albeit Harper did push them to the edge repeatedly. The fun is largely from Dottie's zings and one-liners, albeit picturing the holiday decor is fun, too. Kappes knows how to showcase a great setting and the Southern charm and holiday spirit shines through.

Bottom line, while I still cringed at Mae's tendency to lose control of her mouth at the worst possible times, translate that to "at the most dangerous moments", I fully enjoyed the read/listen and like the characters. Watching the Laundry Ladies, whose story goes back to book one, come together to support Mae and Harper's family provides a nice, warm, cozy feel. The customs of the Southern town of Normal are nicely shown and even discussed, to add to the feel. Small town, Southern charm, quirky and fun characters, and a mystery to solve add up to a fun read. Thanks #TantorMedia for allowing me this early listen. I'm delighted to learn the series is being developed as a potential Hallmark Channel Original Series. It's easy to almost visualize the events and character interactions as the plot moves along, so that could be a fun show. 

The Book Club Murders, by Maggie Allswell , AUDIO BOOK Narrated by Jilly Bond

 

AUDIO BOOK   Review to come

The Book Club Murders, by Maggie Allswell (Temporary placeholder for RTC)

 Publication May 23, 2026

An Inconvenient Widow: The Torment, Trial, and Triumph of Mary Todd Lincoln, by Lois Romano

 

Publication May 19, 2026pol

Oddly enough, I came away from this one wishing someone would do a serious look into the life of Robert Lincoln. While the idea of the son of Lincoln putting his mother into an asylum, Bellevue, gives me pause, as one who has dealt with a family member's increasingly erratic and even dangerous actions as dementia grew, I can also understand his sense of frustration and feelings of helpless. Not to say that Mary Todd Lincoln had dementia but many have theorized that she was bi-polar and that can be a difficult mental situation, too, so I can away with not only more empathy for Mary but her son, too. I was already aware of many of the big points of the book but this one, despite the title, provides a solid look at her life before Lincoln as well as after, too. Raised in a politically savvy, Southern leaning family that seemed to be torn apart by the Civil War, the multiple tragedies she endured certainly had an impact. That said, her frequently explosive, difficult personality, not to mention overspending in the public eye and her wandering about rootless after her days in the White House while dealing with financial issues, gained her few supporters. 

I note there are several lengthy reviews already, so see no need to summarize the book. I knew enough about her going into the book to be intrigued but wasn't particularly sympathetic. Given her probably real medical/mental health issues, I did come away with more of an understanding of not just Mary but the times. My hunch is that most of you who read this one, probably history, Civil War, or Lincoln buffs, will come away the same. I honestly don't believe I'd have liked her much in real life, sadly, but at least I know some of the inner drive of what made her the woman she was. You'll learn some of the history of what and who shaped her, yes, as well as who/what shaped/drove those who, to paraphrase, told her story through their own eyes. 

Bottom line, an intriguing, if sad read. I'm not sure she ever really did triumph as the title indicates, but she did persevere and, as I was happy to read, actually was able to reconcile with son Robert not long before her death in 1882. Thanks #Simon&Schuster for allowing me this early peek at a complicated woman who lived in complicated times. As we all do, she had issues, some medical, some surely just the way she was, and was misunderstood and given little sympathy. What a contrast to the way the world embraced Jacqueline Kennedy after her husband's assassination by her side. Two very different women in very different times, that's for sure. 

A Delicious Deception (Key West Food Critic Mystery #16), bu Lucy Burdette

 

Publication July 14, 2026

This one might be a good read for someone who is prone to agree to doing favor after favor for others without thinking. Hayley is very pregnant and agrees to do what appears an easy favor for Deputy Darcy Rogers. She winds up finding herself in the middle of not just a child custody issue but murder and an abducted child. Let's just say, while she does acknowledge her limits at times, she ultimately is so exhausted from it all and the daily life of living in the middle of a construction zone in her new home that she forgets about her own baby shower. Yep, that's tired. To add another complication, husband Nathan has to leave home to go to Miami where his father is to undergo surgery and isn't on hand. True, she has good friends Miss Gloria and Annie Dubisson, both also former house boat residents, now living in a small cottage in her backyard. 

And....well, that's just the beginning though I won't spoil the plot any further. Let's just say it involves not just the aforementioned child custody issues, abduction, and murder, but probable drug dealers, lots of family drama and some odd police procedure. Nope, phew, not Nathan. Didn't seem to be as much carefree food talk this go-round as usual, nor do we get as much of a virtual tour of Key West, so hopefully Hayley will be back to her usual food critic/addict new book. She's definitely not going without food, however. After all, she's got that old cliche of an excuse of eating for two. There are food related quotes from various sources at the start of each chapter, though, so you don't have to go cold turkey for food mentions. 

Bottom line, although for some reason I couldn't quite connect to the story line, especially when the murder was sort of shoved into the shadows in favor of finding the missing child, but overall it was an easy, enjoyable read. The ending was a bit abrupt, too, hence a 3.5 star rounded up, although the changes to Hayley and Nathan's life at the end of the book hint of some fun scenes in Key West in the future. Fortunately, they seem to have their usual full support team behind them, probably eager to offer their services for....oops, not saying, though bet you can guess. Grin. 

The Afternoon Tea Murders (The Secret Detective Agency, #4), by Helena Dixon

 

Jane Treen was one of those characters that wasn't easy to like when I first stumbled into this series. Rather standoffish and prickly, she came across as somewhat self centered and standoffish. I'm happy to say that I've gotten to know her better over this series and quite like her now. She's a woman living not only in a man's world, ie a Whitehall office full of, well, full of themselves men, but a wartime world where women were already secondary characters who weren't expected to have an opinion, much less a supposedly man's job. Her initial focus on ignoring those about her who'd belittle or ignore her made her a tough know and it's been delightful to see how she's evolved into, well, if not necessarily easily likable into a more thoughtful, well rounded person. True, she still brings along her cat despite knowing that poor Arthur, with his asthma will be negatively impacted, but she's making a genuine effort to keep them apart whenever possible and has even taken to not smoking around him. Even more telling, she has taken to worrying about his well being instead of finding him a nuisance for slowing her down, so to speak. She's even learned to slow her walking pace when with Arthur given his breathing issues.

As for the mystery, it's a good one. Author Helena Dixon does and excellent job of setting the scene. You will sense the feelings of isolation and the underlying sense of wariness and tension in the old manor house where a team of intelligence experts is being housed. Their job is to intercept and decode enemy messages. something is askew, however. What if one of the code breakers is the enemy? How else can you explain the sudden, unexpected shifts of code? Then while visiting the village, Jane and Arthur stumble across a murder scene. Are they connected to the underlying issues of the team? Why is one of the team members showing increasing signs of being suspicious and, yikes, surely it isn't a mere coincidence he winds up dead, at a dance no less? And....oh, that's just the beginning. Spies, servants not doing their jobs, a claustrophobic sense of unease, and a sense of not knowing who to trust. And, oh, yeah, a snow storm. 

Nope, not sharing any more. You'll just have to read the book. As a history buff, I definitely enjoyed this behind the scenes look at the multitude of people involved in the shadows of the war effort where the danger of German spies was always on their minds, and how vital the behind the scenes agents were. I'm bad a decoding anything that isn't pretty cut and dry, so can only imagine the tedium of going through message after message after message looking for patterns and more importantly, being able to see any diversion from them. Watching Jane and Arthur work together with the very able assist from jack-of-all-trades (and jobs) Benson, was impressive. Thanks #Bookouture for introducing me to this fascinating cast and allowing me an early peek back at their time and service. If I've learned nothing else from this series, it is that I'd have made a rotten spy. Grin.  

 

 

 

Vengeance: The Last Stands of Custer, Crazy Horse, and Sitting Bull, by Tom Clavin

 Publication May 12, 2026

I honestly think my first introduction to George Armstrong Custer and the Battle of the Little Big Horn was due to my horse focus. I recall badgering my grandparents to take me to the drive in, yes, I'm that old, to see the Disney movie "Comanche". I don't recall being bothered at all by the violence of the battle, probably due to Disney magic, though certainly filled in the gaps as the years passed. This one definitely doesn't spare us the details of the battles, including the mutilation of bodies...by both sides, mind you. So, be prepared. There are some tough scenes included but it's well worth the read to get an honest, informed idea of all that went before Custer was turned into a mythic hero. There's even a bit about how his widow contributed to that, I might add, not to mention that Comanche the horse gets some space, too.

Needless to say, I'm not going to even try to summarize. This is definitely not a lighthearted read that will leave you admiring Custer. It will also give you the reasons behind the title choice, a choice made by the United States government that had little love for the natives slowing their westward movement. How ironic to read about Native leaders even being honored by a visit to the White House and meeting the President, not to mention a visit to NYC, but their tribes still being hunted down and massacred. It's a complex, tragic story. There are no heroes or villains here, just flawed humans on both sides. The author has pulled from the massive works of other authors here, too, and managed to pull it together in an easily readable, albeit frequently uncomfortable read. I did grin that he managed to work in a descendant of Alexander Hamilton, btw, though you're going to have to read the book to discover who and how. You're sure to catch more than a few other historically significant names, too. 

What I particularly enjoyed was how Clavin blended the stories of not just Custer, but Sitting Bull and Crazy Horse. You get their backgrounds, some history leading up to the battle that changed history forever, and their demise. Of course, military leaders get their moment, including a rather detailed sense of how Major Reno handled himself throughout and after the battle. Oddly enough, though many of the scenes and history depicted are violent, the book manages to avoid falling into being a sad, depressing read by making readers think. Clavin doesn't waste his time trying to point fingers or blame one side or the other. Instead, he leaves it up to his readers to digest the info and come to their own conclusions. It's a lengthy read for some, I'm sure, but well worth it if you have any interest in history and the many ups and downs that created the current nation, one even now dealing with its treatment of Native Americans. 

Bottom line, it's been quite a while since I've delved into the Custer legend, so I have to admit to being fuzzy what I knew and  didn't know going into this book but I found it intriguing. Organized into six different "acts" covering various phases, it opens with a prologue on Custer's Washita attack, setting the stage for what follows. Although in theory the Native Americans won a great victory at the Little Big Horn, it was also an ending for them, all of which is covered. My thanks to #StMartin'sPress and #NetGalley for allowing me this early look at a piece of history I've always found sadly intriguing. It was great to refresh my memories and perhaps be shown another viewpoint at time. And, of course, I was glad to see Comanche's days of being an icon of sorts and what happened to him given coverage. Rather took me full circle back to those days of anxiously waiting for the movie to begin at the drive-in.

Millie and Mabel's Afterlife Adventure: A Paranormal Cozy Mystery with Ghost Sleuths (Spectral Sleuths Book 1), by Katherine Hastings

 

If you had to guess, where would you guess THE doorway to heaven would be located on earth? Whatever you guessed, I'm leaning toward you being wrong. And, nope, not telling. You'll have to read this humorous, quite quirky tale of two heavenly souls who come down to earth to...well, do a job. It is telling that they have hopes of doing a few other fun things, too, while here, but that's half the fun. I got this book late and wanted to have a review ready and up for publication day, so didn't really take notes, but after a somewhat slow start, the pace begins to pick up with their return to earth. Let's just say, things didn't go as planned.

I'm not going to detail the plot much but will say that Millie and Mabel were friends for about 90 years before they went to heaven. Even they aren't quite sure how they got there, to be honest, so that adds to the sense of anxiety that poor Millie feels at Mabel's idea. Let's just say, if you think you know what a Crossing Guard is, you're right but wrong. As noted, the start was a bit slow, setting the stage as the duo admit that they are finding perfection in heaven wonderful but a bit boring. Don't ask. Read the book. Grin. 

The story eventually evolves with them being visible to FBI agent Sarah Sadler who had had a near death experience. Sarah is investigating a serial killer and the dynamic duo find themselves getting involved. Does it go smoothly? Well, no, but that's half the fun. They're also doing their initial job, not to mention a bit more, so their stay on earth is eventful. I think you'll find it intriguing and amusing. Millie and the always more adventurous Mabel are winging it most of the time but discover they're not half bad at this investigating thing. My thanks to author #KatherineHastings and to #ReaganDavis for introducing me to this fun pair of Spectral Sleuths in her newsletter.