Mystery

Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees (Issues #1-#6) / Patrick Horvath, Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou (Letterer)

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Beneath the Trees Where Nobody Sees (Issues #1-#6)
By: Patrick Horvath, Hassan Otsmane-Elhaou (Letterer)
Genre: Graphic Novel, Horror
Number of Pages: 152
Published: September 17, 2024
Publisher: IDW Publishing
Dates Read: December 9, 2025
Format: Library Book / eBook

Samantha Strong’s cardinal rule: Don’t murder the locals; the city is just beyond the forest and has plenty of potential victims. Sam has worked too hard to build a cozy life and have her thriving business in the small town of Woodbrook – the last thing she wants to do is disturb the peace. So, imagine the exasperation when Woodbrook’s own meets a grisly death. Now Sam will do everything it takes to find her rival before the town self-destructs.

The best way to describe this graphic novel: think Winnie the Pooh meets Dexter. It’s such a crazy concept to have beautifully drawn scenery and characters and then the next page is a brutal murder, it most definitely elevated the story for me.

You’re also kind of in this weird, “Who do I root for?” spot while reading this because Sam is her own serial killer, but then there’s another Woodbrook resident who is killing and now those murders may get framed to her (or someone else). Like, yea, she should probably get caught so she’s not killing anymore, but also, you don’t want her framed for something she didn’t do!

Overall, it was a fun read that I think any horror fan would enjoy (yes, even with the artwork!).

Mask of the Deer Woman / Laurie L. Dove

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Mask of the Deer Woman
By: Laurie L. Dove, Isabella Star Lablanc (Narrator)
Genre: Mystery, Thriller
Number of Pages: 336
Published: January 21, 2025
Publisher: Berkley
Dates Read: July 15, 2025 - July 26, 2025
Format: Library Book / Audiobook

After her daughter’s murder, ex-Chicago detective Carrie Starr has nowhere to go but where she started. Starr’s father didn’t talk much about the reservation he grew up on, but they needed a new marshal and Starr needed a new place to call home.

Many girls and women have either died or disappeared from the rez over the years. Now, Chenoa Cloud is missing and while Starr investigates, memories of her daughter’s murder come to surface. When she begins to see glimpses of a figure from her dad’s stories – a woman with the antlers of a deer, Starr believes she’s being followed by her. She doesn’t know though, if the Deer Woman is there to help and guide her or seek vengeance for the lost daughters of the rez.

I had a little bit of a hard time with this one, mostly because I had a hard time liking Starr because how she handles certain things slows down the novel in what could have been a fast pace thriller. I mean, yes, it did get faster in the later bit of the novel, but throughout a lot of it, I wanted her to deal with a lot of her personal demons (therapy would help so much).

I did just realize writing this review that it now says Carrie Starr #1 so I am curious to see Starr being flushed out a lot more in the upcoming novel(s).

This novel does an excellent, yet sad, job at tackling the lack of assistance Native and Indigenous Persons get when it comes to their lost and missing women and daughters. And also the corruption that happens on the Rez with outside entities as well.

Overall, I think anyone who likes a good mystery/thriller will enjoy this, especially for a debut Indigenous author.

*Thank you Berkley and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

Under This Red Rock / Mindy McGinnis

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Under This Red Rock
By: Mindy McGinnis
Genre: YA, Mystery
Number of Pages: 336
Published: March 19, 2024
Publisher: Katherine Tegen Books
Dates Read: January 29, 2025 - January 31, 2025
Format: Library Book / Audiobook

Trigger Warnings: Depictions of suicide and suicidal ideation

Neely has been battling her hidden monsters, the disembodied voices that shadow her every move, since she was little. Lately though, they’ve become louder and more mobile.

To try and get some peace from them, Neey takes a job as a tour guide in the one place her monsters can’t follow – the caverns. There she meets Mila. Mila is everything Neely isn’t – beautiful and confident. As the two become closer, Neely’s crush grows. When a staff afterparty exposes Neely to drugs, she follows Mila’s lead, but that causes her hallucinations to escalate.

The next work day, Mila’s body is found brutally murdered in the caverns and Mila’s memories of the party are super fuzzy. With her hidden monsters not so hidden anymore, Mila must figure out who kills Mila… and face the possibility it may have been her.

So I actually went into this book pretty much blind. I started Under This Red Rock as an audiobook without looking into what it’s about and I ended up really enjoying it. The suspension mixed in with Neely’s mental health struggles and not knowing what was real and what wasn’t made it interesting to me. Though I would get slightly annoyed with Neely when she would straight up lie about something that she absolutely knew was real – don’t make life harder for yourself!

Overall, I think this would be a fantastic read for those who like suspense and thrillers mixed with some mystery.

Where Sleeping Girls Lie / Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé

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Where Sleeping Girls Lie
By: Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé (Narrator Natalie Simpson)
Genre: YA, Mystery
Number of Pages: 416
Published: March 14, 2024
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Dates Read: August 16, 2024 - August 24, 2024
Format: Library Book / Audiobook

Trigger Warnings (as of author’s website): Death of family members (including parents), grief, murder, sexual assault, rape, suicide and suicide ideation, alcohol consumption, emotional abuse, anxiety, misogyny, rape culture, drugging and drug use, aftermath of C-PTSD

Sade Hussein is starting her third year of high school at the prestigious Alfred Nobel Academy boarding school. She’s been homeschooled her whole life and feels like a magnet for misfortune, but she’s ready for a fresh start. What she’s not ready for is her roommate, Elizabeth, to disappear after Sade’s first night.

With rumors swirling around her, Sade catches the attention of the most popular girls in school and they bring her into their group. Between learning about them, especially Persephone, playing catch-up in class, and working with Bas, Elizabeth’s best friend, to try and find the missing girl, Sade has a lot on her plate. It doesn’t help that she’s dealing with her own grief from the many tragedies in her family.

And then a student is found dead. The more Sade investigates, the more she realizes there’s more to Alfred Nobel Academy and its student body than she realized. There are secrets everywhere.

I had a digital ARC of this book but then grabbed the audiobook from my library as soon as I could as I needed one to listen to on my drive to and from my hometown. Let me tell ya, the audiobook was amazing! Natalie Simpson was captivating and even did multiple voices for characters. It made my 2.5 hour drive both ways (almost) enjoyable.

I’ve had Ace of Spades on my TBR shelf for ages but for some reason haven’t gotten around to it. I will tell you, after reading Where Sleeping Girls Lie, I will be moving that up on my list for sure. Faridah Àbíké-Íyímídé is an amazing author and I cannot believe I’ve slept on her as long as I have. I’m usually kind of “meh” when it comes to mysteries or thrillers, but this novel kept me on the edge of my seat and guessing, because it could have gone so many ways and it sometimes was a shock as to which direction it went!

This will be on many recommendations lists for sure. I would say it could be enjoyed by everyone, but there is the angsty-ness of YA relationships, so it may not be for everyone. But, if you’re down for a page turning, or ear turning, read, this is for you!!

*Thank you Feiwel & Friends and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

The Forest Demands Its Due / Kosoko Jackson

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The Forest Demands Its Due
By: Kosoko Jackson
Genre: YA, Horror
Number of Pages: 432
Published: October 3, 2023
Publisher: Quill Tree Books
Dates Read: August 8, 2024 - August 13, 2024
Format: Hardcover

Douglas Jones wants nothing to do with Regent Academy’s influence on its ability to mold teens into leaders; he just wants to survive and graduate. But then a student is murdered and the next day, no one even remembers him existing – except Douglas and the groundskeeper’s family, The Everley’s. In his process to uncover the truth, Douglas pokes at the horror hidden in the woods on the edge of the school’s grounds and begins to unearth secrets hidden for centuries.  

I was invested in this book – until the last quarter of it to be honest. There was so much going on and the explanation of stuff didn’t make sense – which, I know the forest is supposed to be super confusing and cause all that, but the explanations that are given weren’t I guess satisfying enough for me <spoiler> like, why were the creatures still around after </spoiler>.

I also didn’t quite understand the romance aspect of it. Everett went from not talking to Douglas to willing to die to protect him. I just – meh…

Overall, I don’t know if this would be horror? Definitely dark academia with fantasy aspects. I also don’t read enough horror to be the best opinion on it truth be told.

Stoked For This: February 2024

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I feel like I both went hard and yet, was super stingy on what I picked to showcase this month. Maybe it’s the fact I have well over 300 books sitting in my TBR piles around my house and yet, I still can’t say no to a good ARC when I see one…

Release Date: February 6, 2024

Why We Read: On Bookworms, Libraries, and Just One More Page Before Lights Out

by: Shannon Reed

Why am I stoked for this release?

Well, that seems like a silly question. This is a book review blog/website no?

I know why I read, but I’d like to know why others do as well..

And clearly I love talking about books, so a new book about books is always on my radar ◡̈

Released Date: February 13, 2024

The Framed Women of Ardemore House

by: Brandy Schillace

Why am I stoked for this release?

I’m not one for mysteries. But more romance and mysteries are on my little personal goals list this year.

This one is about an autistic editor who inherits an English estate, but then finds herself at the center of a murder investigation. There’s also a missing family portrait as well.

Anywho, this just sounds like it would be fun and interesting.

The Warm Hands of Ghosts

by: Katherine Arden

Why am I stoked for this release?

Anyone else read The Bear and the Nightingale?

This is Arden’s new book – set in the Great War in 1917, which is not a year or event I usually read about.

I enjoyed Arden’s book I read last year (though I haven’t read the rest of the series). I’m excited to read about this one as it has some magical realism aspects to it.

The Kamogawa Food Detectives

by: Hisashi Kashiwai, Jesse Kirkwood (Translator)

Why am I stoked for this release?

A newly translated Japanese series where a father-daughter duo who run the Kamogawa Diner can recreate dishes from a person’s treasured memories.

A lot of my greatest large family memories growing up was always centered around food. My cousin could make the best cheesy potato casserole and I don’t care who makes it otherwise, it’s not the same. Okay?

The Book of Doors

by: Gareth Brown

Why am I stoked for this release?

Imagine receiving a book that has the ability to open any door to anywhere the possessor wants! And, after running around with your best friend, you discover there are other books with other crazy abilities and so therefor are bad guys who want your book.

What are you going to do??

This just sounds like such a crazy concept, and it’s giving me all kinds of ideas, but I want to read this to see where it goes before making my own decisions about what doors I would want to open…

The Eternal Ones

by: Namina Forna

Why am I stoked for this release?

This is the last book of The Gilded Ones series and oh boy – is it good!

Full of action and the best found family vibes and a magical shaft shifting companion you could ask for in a YA fantasy.

This Day Changes Everything

by: Edward Underhill

Why am I stoked for this release?

This is a Queer YA romance set during one day in New York City around Thanksgiving.

I enjoy books that everything is set in one day. T

This book is 288 pages, there’s bound to be some wild stuff that happen!

Release Date: February 20, 2024

Welcome to Hyunam-Dung Bookshop

by: Hwang Bo-Reum, Shanna Tan (Translator)

Why am I stoked for this release?

You all should know by now I’m a sucker for Japanese literature- especially when it’s about books.

This one is a Korean smash hit about a girl who gets burnt out, leaves her old life behind, and goes to a small neighborhood outside Seoul and opens the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop.

Raise your hand if a dream job of yours would be to open your own little bookshop/cafe/cat sanctuary that you run with your best girl friend.

Island Witch

by: Amanda Jayatissa

Why am I stoked for this release?

Inspired by Sri Lankan folklore (again, something I haven’t read before!). In late 19th century Sri Lanka, the daughter of a traditional demon-priest, tries to solve the mysterious attack that have been happening in her village.

This is horror and though I dipped my toes a little (so little) into horror last year, this seems like it may actually be up my alley.

Release Date: February 27, 2024

Hope Ablaze

by: Sarah Mughal Rana

Why am I stoked for this release?

This is a YA about a Muslim teen finding her voice in a post 9/11 America.

I was only in fourth grade when 9/11 happened, but of course it’s a day I’ll always remember.

I’ve only read a handful of books based around that time period, and I can’t wait to read this one, especially as there is poetry throughout it and I enjoy that.

Snowglobe

by: Soyoung Park, Joungmin Lee Comfort (Translator)

Why am I stoked for this release?

Another newly translated Korean novel where in the not-so-distant future, the world has constant subzero weather. It’s a dream to participate in the reality TV broadcasted by Snowglobe, a community protected in an insulated glass dome.

I hate winter – and we just recently had that crazy cold snap here in KC. I feel like I barely survive it every time, so I’m ready to see how others do so 24/7!

The Misfits #1: A Royal Conundrum / Lisa Yee, Dan Santat (Illustrator)

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The Misfits #1: A Royal Conundrum
By: Lisa Yee, Dan Santat (Illustrator)
Genre: Middle Grade
Number of Pages: 288
Published: January 2, 2024
Publisher: Random House for Young Readers
Dates Read: January 3, 2024 - January 4, 2024
Format: ARC / Library Book / Audiobook

Olive Cobin Zang has always slipped under the radar but problems have a knack for always finding her. But nothing would prepare her for the once prison, now turned to a reforming arts boarding school she’s dropped off at: RASCH. There, she’s lumped in with a team of four other kids whose goal is to fight crime.

Turns out, RASCH is in danger of closing. If Olive and The Misfits can stop the heist of the century, maybe she can stay at the school where she finally feels like she belongs.

One thing I want to make clear on this, is that I would not deem this as a graphic novel. It’s a novel with illustrations for sure, but not a graphic novel with pages full of panels; it’s mostly text. So hence my surprise when asked for the ARC, received it and opened it to find it mostly text. Now, it’s still a great story! And super fun and I can see a lot of kid enjoy the “being a spy” aspect 

Other than that, I enjoyed the middle grade spy/crime fighting book. Was some of it completely out there – yes. But it totally reads like a fun movie – and the illustrations here and there help with the film in my head. For those kids that like page turning action, this will do it for you.

*Thank you Random House for Young Readers and NetGalley for an advance digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review

After You Vanished / E.A. Neeves

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After You Vanished by E.A. Neeves cover
4 star rating
After You Vanished
By: E.A. Neeves
Genre: YA, Mystery
Number of Pages: 336
Published: August 29, 2023
Publisher: Disney-Hyperion
Dates Read: August 24, 2023 - August 26, 2023
Format: ARC / eBook

Teddy’s favorite place is Bottomrock Lake, where she’s been a lifeguard every summer, even though it’s the last place her twin sister, Izzy was seen a year ago. Now, she can’t stop thinking of all the places her sister went – Izzy was on her way to become an Olympic swimmer, there’s no way she could have drowned. Plus, her passport is missing.

But when Toby, the boy who was with Izzy that fateful night she vanished, comes to Bottomrock to work as a lifeguard too, Teddy can’t help but want to ask 1,000 questions. How many secrets does Toby have of Izzy’s that she didn’t share with Teddy? And why does undercovering one always lead to ten more?

I picked this up because it mentioned Sadie by Courtney Summers as a read-a-like, and I absolutely love that book and am constantly recommending it, so to have another title that would get to be added to that list was what I was looking for. I had high expectations, and this one didn’t disappoint.

This is most definitely a slow burn mystery with low stakes (no one is coming after to kill Teddy or anyone else) mixed with a bit of romance. There was always something that made me turn the page, even when Teddy would eliminate something. I always had hope it would turn out one way. I will say I think it took me a bit longer to see a few of the curveballs that were thrown, but in the end it was fun to see it all connected.

Though a mystery, this book also focuses on Teddy and her grief of losing not only a sibling, but her twin. And how she uses it to grow out on her own for the first time. Her story in that regard was well written.

Needless to say, this will be on my recommendation list, alongside Sadie, for anyone who wants a good mystery with emotional layers to it.

*Thank you Disney-Hyperion and NetGalley for a digital advance copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review

Warrior Girl Unearthed / Angeline Boulley

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Warrior Girl Unearthed
By: Angeline Boulley
Genre: YA, Mystery
Number of Pages: 400
Published: May 2, 2023
Publisher: Henry Holt & Co.
Dates Read: August 6, 2023 - August 10, 2023
Format: Hardcover

After a bear and her cub cause Perry Firekeeper-Birch to get into a fender bender with a metal gate, she’s had to kiss her chilled out Summer of Slack goodbye in order to pay her Auntie Daunis back for the repairs. Now, she’s working in The Kinomage program, at the museum with Cooper Turtle. It’s not all bad though, she’s with the other outcasts in the group, Team Misfit Toys. Together they ace obstacle courses, plan vigils for missing women in the community, and make sure summer can still be fun.

While working with Cooper Turtle, Perry attends a meeting at a local university where she meets the “Warrior Girl”, an ancestor whose bones and knife are stored in the museum archives. After finding out how her ancestors are treated, Perry is determined to help return Warrior Girl to her tribe. She learns everything she can about NAGPRA, the federal law that allows tribes to request the return of ancestral remains and sacred items. The law was passed back in 1990 and museums all over the United States have found legal loopholes to hold onto remains like Warrior Girl and others. The college has twelve other Anishinaabe ancestors’ remains and Team Misfit Toys are determined to bring them home through a heist.

I absolutely adored Firekepper’s Daughter and am constantly recommending it. This book is no different. This is another powerful and beautifully written story that really focuses on the injustices that happen within the Indigenous Communities both here in the United States and around the world. I always learn so much reading these books. Like, I know America has a horrible relationship with Indigenous and Native tribes, but to hear just how badly and cruel museums are handling the NAGPRA is so horribly sad. This book is set in 2014 and talks about how long it was taking museums to do something that was issued into law 20 years ago – it’s over 30 now and it’s probably not any better.

Perry is a bit impulsive and immature, but so works so well for this story. She loves her community and culture so much and will do everything she can for them. Perry grows so much in this story and I adore her so much.

This book is a 10 year follow up to Firekeeper’s Daughter but could totally be a stand alone too. Though I would highly recommend reading both because you really get the depth to the community, history, characters, and practices mentioned.

*Thank you NetGalley and Henry Holt and Co for a digital advance copy of this novel in exchange for an honest review

What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez / Claire Jiménez

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The cover of What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez by Claire Jimenez. A drawn photo of the back of a young woman, above her shoulders. She has tan skin, medium hoop earrings, and bright red hair in a bun. She also has a birth mark under her left eye that you can see on her cheek.
What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez
By: Claire Jiménez
Genre: Contemporary
Number of Pages: 240
Published: March 7, 2023
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Dates Read: February 19, 2023 - February 20, 2023
Format: ARC / Paperback

Trigger Warnings: Discussion of rape and molestation, missing child(ren)

13-year-old Ruthie Ramirez disappeared without a trace from a bus stop after track practice in 1996. Her disappearance rocked the Ramirez family and they were never able to fully recover. Then, one night, twelve years later, older sister Jessica spots a splitting image of their sister on a reality TV show called Catfight, she even has the beauty mark under the left eye that is instantly recognizable.

In 2008, Ruthy’s mother, Dolores, still struggles with the loss, older sister Jessica now has a newborn baby and works at the hospital, and younger sister Nina, after four years away at college, is now back and living with their mom and is forced to work a job at the lingerie store at the mall.

After the sisters see the could-be-Ruthy, they hatch a plan to go down to where the show is filming to see if they can confirm who they think she is. When Dolores also sees the could-be-Ruthy herself, she insists on joining, and dragging along her best friend, Irene. The Ramirez women then set on a road trip that forces them to face their past and look towards the future, with or without the could-be-Ruthy.

This is both a heartwarming and a heartbreaking novel. The chapters jump around between the Ramirez women, including Ruthy back in 1996 on the day of her disappearance. By doing this, Jiménez is able to show you each of their thoughts and feelings, which really humanizes the whole thing and makes it feel authentic.

What Happened to Ruthy Ramirez was also a pretty quick read for me as well, the only reason it took me two days was because I started it later in the evening on the 19th. The writing style and language of this novel are smooth and easy flowing, regardless of whose POV the chapter was written in. This style also keeps the mystery of what really happened to Ruthy up until the very end – did she get taken or did she simply run away and refuse to talk to her family again?

I can easily see this book becoming a Book Club favorite in libraries as well as highly talked about once it’s released in a few weeks. Anyone who likes to read about a complicated family dynamic, especially based around women, will greatly enjoy this book.

*Thank you Grand Central Publishing for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review