July favorites - more summer recommendations!

The Heirs  by Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé (Feiwel & Friends, 2 June 2026).

This teen mystery/thriller will probably be one of my favorite books this year!

It's difficult to describe without giving too much away, so I'm going to use the publisher's blurb.

Octavius the Maestro.
Fola the Brain.
Bilal the Olympian.        

Perdita the Artist.
Romeo the Failure.

These are the five heirs of the illustrious billionaire Leontes Button. Adopted and viciously trained with their father’s infamous “Button Method” to prove his hypothesis for creating prodigies—child geniuses—the Button siblings have had no choice but to be brilliant according to their father's impossibly high standards.

Until he is murdered at his annual Prodigy Ball.

Now, all who attended the ball are required to stay in the Button Manor while the police investigate. But the officers have their work cut out for them—each of the Button siblings has something to hide, but The Heirs aren't the only ones with secrets. After all, Leontes Button was especially good at making enemies. . .

*****

Probable Caws  (Meg Langslow #39) by Donna Andrews (Minotaur Books, 4 August 2026).

I've been reading (and enjoying!) this series since the first one. Murder with Peacocks, was published in 1999. Yes, Meg been solving mysteries all those years.

In this installment, Meg's family friend, Ragnar Ragnarsen, who is gradually turning the enormous house on his nearby estate into an authentic moated castle, has agreed to shelter nearly fifty horses for Hoof and Hearth, an equine rescue organization that has lost access to the farm where the horses have been living. The owner of the farm recently died without leaving a will, and while his older son Abel would be happy to let the horses stay, younger brother George wants to sell to a developer . . . and is suspected of sending a thug to harm the horses as part of his efforts to evict Hoof and Hearth.

That night, while Meg and her family are camping at one of Ragnar’s barns, to keep an eye on the horses, they discover that the thug has been murdered. Unfortunately George is alibied . . . but his horse-loving brother Abel is not. Neither are the hot-tempered founder of Hoof and Hearth or the passionately protective ex-jockey who serves as its stablemaster. Meg juggles helping keep the horses safe and doing what she can to help the chief solve the thug’s murder . . . all the while hoping that the killer won’t turn out to be one of the dedicated horse rescuers she has come to like and respect.

(Many thanks to Edelweiss for the digital ARC of this book!)

*****

A Zoom With a View by Jess Cannon (Dutton Books, 5 May 2026).

I had a really hard time putting this book down once I began.  It's exciting and gripping and funny, and filled with twists and turns. 

Our heroine, Leonora (Leo) has moved back to her hometown of Blue Oak, Texas, after being unable to find work as a professor of literature.  She's having trouble adjusting to the small town, especially due to her strained relationship with her overly hair-sprayed mother, Karina. But at least she’s able to work as a photographer for her godmother’s real estate business. And her best friend, Emily, is around to help her navigate through the mess—and maybe force her to reconnect with her old high school boyfriend, Mack.

But, while photographing one of her grandmother's listings,  Leo makes a grisly discovery: the dead body of rival real estate agent and social media influencer Chaz. Even worse, Leo and Emily have been secretly running a snarky Reddit page making fun of Chaz’s cringe-inducing advice and duck-faced selfies. When someone she loves is accused of the murder, Leo finds herself flung headfirst into a dangerous investigation, teaming up with a local detective who is a lot more attractive than she remembered when they were both teenagers. 

Meanwhile, her mother is acting stranger and stranger...

This book appears to be the first in a series, and I'm looking forward to spending more time with Leo!

*****

The Spy and the Snake (Mrs. Spy #2) by M.J. Robotham.  

The prequel to this book, Mrs. Spy, was one of my January favorites, and I highly recommend reading it first!

This book takes place in the 1960s, during the Cold War and the height of Beatle-mania.

Maggie, still employed by MI5, is now desk-bound.  She appreciates the relative safety of her new position, but with her daughter off at University, her life is beginning to feel ... ordinary.

So when the opportunity arises to get back in the field, Maggie jumps at it.  

The assignment: fly to Budapest  and pose as the wife of a notorious British defector in order to smuggle him back to the UK. It should be a straightforward operation. But Maggie Flynn has never done straightforward - and what's waiting in Budapest is anything but routine.

As Cold War tensions simmer and shadows linger on every corner, Maggie finds herself navigating a city steeped in secrets-and drawn to a mysterious stranger who may endanger the mission… or steal her heart.

Cross-posted to my Substack.

Mystery Monday - My 2025 favorites

For Duck's Sake (Meg Lanslow #37) by Donna Andrews ((St. Martin's Press, 2025).

Just Another Dead Author (Berit Gardner #2) by Katrina Bivald (Poisoned Pen Press, 2025).

From Cradle to Grave (Her Royal Spyness #19) by Rhys Bowen (Penguin Group, 2025).

Beach Reads and Deadly Deeds by Alison Brennan (MIRA Books, 2025).

Death of a Forest Fairy (Hungarian Tea House #4) by Julia Buckley (Julia Buckley, 2025).

The Wexford Carole (Imogen Durant #2) by Janice MacDonald (Ravenstone Press, 2025).

The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective by Jo Nichols (St. Martin's Press, 2025).

The Busybody Book Club by Freya Sampson (Penguin Group, 2025).

Summer favorites

Travelling to and from Europe, some time when I wasn't feeling too great, and some time when it was just too hot to move meant I got a lot of reading done this summer.  

Here are my favorites, listed alphabetically by author:

For Duck's sake (Meg Lanslow #37) by Donna Andrews.  (Minotaur Books, 5 August 2025).

The book club for troublesome women by Marie Bostwick.  (Harper Muse, 22 April 2025).

Kate & Frida by Kim Fay.  (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 11 March 2025).

Our last Vineyard summer, by Brooke Lea Foster.  (Gallery Books, 1 July 2025).

The Martha's Vineyard beach and book club by Martha Hall Kelly. (Ballantine Books, 27 May 2025.

It's a love story by Annabel Monaghan. (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 25 May 2025).

Favorite books of 2023 - Mysteries

Andrews, Donna.  Birder, she wrote (Meg Lanslow #33).

Bowen, Rhys.  The proof of the pudding (Royal Spyness  #17).

Carlisle, Kate.  The twelve books of Christmas (Bibliophile Mystery #17).

Crombie, Deborah.  A killing of innocents (Duncan Kincaid/Gemma James #19).

Kelly, Sofie.  Paws to remember (Magical Cats #15).

Page, Katherine Hall.  The body in the web (Faith Fairchild #26).

Simon, Nina.  Mother-daughter murder night.

Cozy Monday

 Yes, it's that time again!

Here are my 10 favorite cozy mysteries published in 2021, listed alphabetically by author
.

Murder in the Cookbook Nook (Book Retreat #7) by Ellery Adams.  Kensington paperback, 27 April 2021.

Six chefs are preparing to compete in an outdoor tent at Storyton Hall in Virginia for prizes that will boost their careers—but is there someone who can't stand the heat? It looks that way when one of the contestants is found dead in a pantry packed with two centuries' worth of cookbooks, among other treasures and rarities.

Could there be a connection to other recent events in town, like tampering with the costume of a local mascot? Jane isn't sure, but after someone serves a second course of murder, the kitchen must be closed and the killer must be found . . 

Murder Most Fowl (Meg Lanslow #29) by Donna Andrews.  St. Martin's Press hardcover, 3 August 2021.

Meg Langslow’s in for a busy summer. Her husband is directing a production of Macbeth, and most of the cast and crew are occupying spare bedrooms in their house. She also has to keep an eye on Camp Birnam, where a group of medieval reenactors are commemorating the real-life Macbeth by setting up what they fondly believe is an authentic medieval Scottish military camp.

And then there’s Damien Goodwin, a filmmaker who has been hanging around, trying to document the production. When Goodwin hosts a showing of some of the footage he’s taken, he manages to embarrass or offend just about everyone. The next morning Meg isn’t exactly surprised to find that someone has murdered him.


But who?  Unfortunately, whoever murdered Goodwin also destroyed all the electronic devices on which his video was stored. So Caerphilly’s chief of police—and Meg—must rediscover the same secrets the filmmaker did if they want to catch a killer.

Murder by the Bookend (Antique Bookshop #2) by Laura Gail Black.  Crooked Lane Books, 7 September 2021.

The quaint warehouse district of Hokes Folly, NC, is hopping despite the drizzly November chill. The occasion? The mountain town’s beloved antiquarian bookstore, Twice Upon a Time, is throwing a bash for its grand reopening. But bookseller Jenna Quinn’s peace of mind is shattered when the local library’s Director of Antique Books turns up dead in the parking lot–his head bashed in by a glittering pair of vintage glass bookends.

Alas, finding the killer won’t be so easy, even though this is not Jenna’s first murder investigation–indeed, she inherited Twice Upon a Time from her slain uncle. The suspect list is voluminous–the late librarian had not-so-friendly run-ins with numerous guests–but suspicion eventually centers on three unsavory individuals who left the party shortly before the victim did.

God Rest Ye, Royal Gentlemen (Her Royal Spyness #15) by Rhys Bowen.  Berkely, 12 October 2021.

Georgie is excited for her first Christmas as a married woman in her lovely new home. She suggests to her dashing husband, Darcy, that they have a little house party, but when Darcy receives a letter from his Aunt Ermintrude, there is an abrupt change in plans. 

Aunt Ermintrude hints that the queen would like Georgie nearby. Georgie had not known that Aunt Ermintrude was a former lady-in-waiting and close confidante of her royal highness. The letter is therefore almost a royal request, so Georgie, Darcy, and their Christmas guests all head to Sandringham.

Little Black Book (Bibliophile #15) by Kate Carlisle. Berkley, 29 June 2021.

Brooklyn and her hunky husband, security expert Derek Stone, have just returned from a delightful trip to Dharma, where the construction of their new home away from home is well underway, when a little black book arrives in the mail from Scotland. The book is a rare British first edition of Rebecca, and there’s no return address on the package. The day after the book arrives, Claire Quinn shows up at Brooklyn and Derek’s home. Brooklyn met Claire when the two women worked as expert appraisers on the television show This Old Attic. 

Claire reveals that during a recent trip to Scotland she discovered her beloved aunt was missing and her home had been ransacked. Among her aunt’s belongings, Claire found the receipt for the package that wound up with Brooklyn and Derek. Claire believes both her own life and her aunt’s are in danger.

But just as Brooklyn and Derek begin to investigate, a man who Claire thinks was following her is found murdered, stabbed with a priceless jeweled dagger. With a death on their doorstep, Brooklyn and Derek page through the little black book, where they discover clues that will take them to the shadows of a medieval Scottish castle on the shores of Loch Ness.

Deadly Ever After (Lighthouse Library #8) by Eva Gates.  Crooked Lane Books, 11 May 2021.

They’re getting married! Lucy Richardson and Connor McNeil have announced their engagement. Their friends throw a party for the couple at Coquina Beach, close to Lucy’s beloved Bodie Island Lighthouse Library.

As they’re packing up the presents and the (few) leftovers from Josie’s Cozy Bakery, who should arrive, but Richard Eric Lewiston III, Lucy’s former almost-fiancé and his overbearing mother Evangeline. Push comes to love when Evangeline makes no secret of why she’s here: to get Lucy and Ricky back together.

Lucy isn’t temped in the least, and Ricky is nothing but embarrassed at his mother’s desperate ploy. Before returning to Boston Evangeline throws a dinner party at Jake’s Seafood Bar for a reluctant Lucy and her family. Lucy hopes to get the dinner over with and see Evangeline and Ricky returning to Boson. But when a body is found at the restaurant’s kitchen door, Lucy is again forced to unwillingly put on her detective’s hat and do what she can to save her family and her engagement. 

A Fatal Footnote (The Open Book #2) by Margaret Loudon.  Berkley, 6 July 2021.

The wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Upper Chumley-on Stoke has all the makings of a fairy tale, complete with a glowing bride and horse-drawn carriage. But it wouldn't be much of a story without a villain, and as American Gothic novelist Penelope Parish is coming to learn, happy-ever-afters are as fraught in this charming British town as they are in her books.

When the Duke's former girlfriend is found murdered at the reception it's up to Penelope and her newfound family at the Open Book bookshop to catch the killer before they strike again.

Killer Research (Library Lover's Mystery #12) by Jenn McKinlay.  Berkely, 2 November 2021.

Ms. Cole, a librarian and current candidate for town mayor, is shocked when she opens her trunk to discover a murder victim who just so happens to be a guy she dated forty years ago and the founder of the baking empire Nana's Cookies. As the town gossip mill turns, a batch of rumors begins to circulate about Ms. Cole's rebellious youth, which--along with being a murder suspect--threatens to ruin her life and her budding political career. But Ms. Cole is one tough cookie who will not go down without a fight.

Has the campaign for mayor turned deadly? It is up to Lindsey, Sully, and the rest of the crafternoon pals to see how the cookie crumbles and figure out who is trying to frame Ms. Cole for murder and why.

The Broken Spine (Beloved Bookroom #1) by Dorothy St. James.  Berkley, 19 January 2021.

Trudell Becket, book-loving librarian, finds herself in a bind when the library where she works is turned into a state-of-the-art bookless library. In a rare move of rebellion, Trudell rescues hundreds of her library's beloved books slated for the recycle center. She sets up a secret book room in the library's basement and opens it to anyone who shares her love of the printed book.

When the town councilman, who was the vocal proponent of the library's transformation into a "futuristic technological center," is crushed under an overturned shelf of DVDs, Trudell becomes the police's prime suspect for his murder. She was the only person in the library at the time of his death, or so the police believe. But that's not true. For the past month, Trudell had been letting a few dozen residents into the building through the basement entrance so they could read and check out the printed books.

But if she tells the police about the backdoor patrons who were in the library at the time of the murder, she'd have to explain about the secret book room and risk losing the books. In order to protect herself from being arrested for a murder she didn't commit, Trudell--with the help of a group of dedicated readers--decides to investigate. She quickly discovers you can't always judge a book by its cover.

The wedding of the Duke and Duchess of Upper Chumley-on Stoke has all the makings of a fairy tale, complete with a glowing bride and horse-drawn carriage. But it wouldn’t be much of a story without a villain, and as American Gothic novelist Penelope Parish is coming to learn, happy-ever-afters are as fraught in this charming British town as they are in her books.

When the Duke’s former girlfriend is found murdered at the reception it’s up to Penelope and her newfound family at the Open Book bookshop to catch the killer before they strike again.

when Georgie pays a visit to the queen, she learns that there is more to her request than just some simple eavesdropping. There have been a couple of strange accidents at the estate recently. Two gentlemen of the royal household have died in mysterious circumstances and another has been shot by mistake during a hunt. Georgie begins to suspect that a member of the royal family is the real target but her investigation will put her new husband and love of her life, Darcy, in the crosshairs of a killer.

An Interview with the Executive Vice President of MWA

Hi, Donna. Welcome to Stuff and Nonsense!

Edgar Week, including the Edgar Awards Banquet, is coming up next week. I’m hoping you can help my readers understand Mystery Writers of America, the organization behind those awards, and the purpose of the group.

You are currently the Executive Vice President of MWA. How long is your term, and what does the position entail? Do you enjoy it?


The EVP is MWA's chief operating officer, and is elected every year for a year-long term. I'm currently serving a second term. I work with our staff—that would be Margery Flax, our administrative director--and the board of directors to ensure that the work of the organization gets done. We also have a president—last year that was Sara Paretsky, and this year Jeff Abbott. I'm rather like the prime minister to their reigning monarch. We're very lucky to have so many hard-working writers who are willing to give time—sometimes a lot of time!--to helping the organization.


Do I enjoy it? I think it's rather like writing. Sometimes you enjoy it . . . and more often the enjoyment comes from looking back and seeing what you've accomplished.


You’re also the President of the Mid-Atlantic Chapter of the organization? Does that cause problems with your position as Executive VP?

The main problem it causes is that I'm one busy person! Fortunately, I have a great chapter board to share the chapter work with. And one advantage of being both a chapter president and the EVP is that I'm more aware of the needs of the chapter and the impact on them of any decisions the National board might make.


Obviously you haven’t been around since the group was formed in 1945, but could you discuss how you think MWA’s role might have altered/adapted over the years? Is the original slogan, "Crime Does not Pay – Enough", still fitting?

Our motto is absolutely fitting—more so than ever. Recent studies have shown that writers' average income has been declining in recent years. Full-time writers are a small minority. And the publishing industry is changing more rapidly than ever, and all of the changes have the potential for affecting what our members earn. The consolidation of large publishers; the rise of e-books; the shifting fortunes of the book chains, the independent bookstores, and the online retailers—every year, the writing game gets more complicated. It's our mission to find ways to help our members survive—and thrive.


Could you share some of the unusual (funny or just plain odd) things that have happened during your term?

Not sure I can think of anything unusual that happened—unless you count that we started last year with the possibility of running a serious deficit and went to work to turn out financial situation around—and did so, thanks to some very hard work on the part of the board and particularly the Finance Committee. And we also managed to create some additional benefits for our members at the same time. I don't know many organizations that can say that.

I can think of one odd thing that almost happened to me at the Edgars. The banquet is a very elegant affair—our invitations say “dress to kill.” Like many full-time writers, I don't have a very impressive working wardrobe. But I'd pulled together an outfit that I thought would fit the bill, including shoes that met with Margery's approval—she's quite a shoe connoisseur. Everything went well, and even thought the shoes had a slightly higher heel than usual, I didn't fall flat on my face. The very next time I wore those shoes—while getting dressed to attend an awards banquet at the Library of Virginia—the heel of one shoe crumpled into a small pile of dust and I came very close to falling on my face. Thank goodness that didn't happen while I was onstage at the Edgars! Because I don't think “wardrobe malfunction at MWA event” is a headline we need.


Out of sheer curiosity, do you remember meeting at Kate’s Bookshoppe in Cambridge when your first book, Murder With Peacocks was released?

I can't honestly say that I remember our meeting—looking back, I remember that whole year only as a delightful whirlwind! But I definitely remember several visits to Kate's. I remember with particular fondness the visit when my twin nephews attended—not for Peacocks, because that was several years before they were born; probably in 2007 or 2008. They were quite impressed with the fact that so many people were listening to their Auntie Donna and her writer friends. And at the end of the meeting, when Kate had all of us sign stock, they were appalled, at first, to see us writing in books—and then grew quite excited and began bringing us books from all over the store to sign. I had to explain to them that while Agatha Christie wasn't around to complain, Michael Connelly might not like it if I signed the books he had written. I do miss having that store around!




Like Meg Langslow, the ornamental blacksmith heroine of her series from St. Martin's Press, Donna Andrews was born and raised in Yorktown, Virginia. She attended the University of Virginia, majoring in English and Drama with a concentration on writing.

Her first novel, Murder with Peacocks, won Malice Domestic/St. Martin's Press Best First Traditional Mystery contest, as well as the Agatha, Anthony, Barry, and Romantic Times awards for best first novel and the Lefty
award for the funniest mystery of 1999. Many of her subsequent books have also won various awards and nominations.

As well as being the Executive Vice President of MWA, and President of its Mid-Atlantic Chapter, Andrews belongs to Sisters in Crime, and the Private Investigators and Security Association. She spends her free time gardening, conquering the world (but only in Civiliation IV), and watching her twin nephews play baseball, basketball, and track.