This week has been great for reading. The weather was sunny and warm and my books surprised and entertained me. I’ve had fun planning for 2025 Halloween Bingo, choosing and or buying the books I think will fit well with the game. In the meantime, I still have some great books to read for the rest of this month.

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A great reading week. Three five-star reads, each in a different genre, and a stumbled-upon novella that kept me amused for an afternoon.

It is 1937 and tensions are high. A spectacular air race around Europe seeks to promote unity among a group of young pilots, but distrust and animosity are rife. The British and sole female contestant, Stella North, is determined to prove not only her skill, but also her identity as her Nansen passport declares her ‘stateless’.
However, barely a few hours in, Stella is witness to a horrifying attack when a contestant’s plane is forced out of the air and crashes. Was this the work of another competitor desperate to win? Was the attack random or premeditated and, most importantly, will it happen again?
With the competition heating up and the death ruled an accident, Stella is left to form her own investigation. Can she find allies among her fellow competitors or will suspicion and deceit bring them all down?

I don’t normally read YA historical fiction, but I saw this cover in my local Public Library and couldn’t resist picking it up. I was immediately surprised and impressed by how good it was. I looked ‘the book’Stateless’ up online and saw that it won. ITW Thriller Award for Young Adult Novel (2024), Crimefest Award (Best Crime Novel for Young Adults) (2024), and the Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Award (Juvenile/Y.A.) (2024). I downloaded a digital copy from the library and fell into the book.

It worked very well as an historical thriller, scaling up the tension right to the end, but it went further than I’d expected. The descriptions of the flying were very vivid and realistic. The story avoided simple stereotypes.

It gave a strong sense of threat from the rise of Fascism, which has some disturbing contemporary echoes. It got the details right on the places (oddly, I’ve spent time in every city that the competitors go to). I also picked up (and verified as I went along) pieces of history I was ignorant of, for example, the existence of a passport specifically for stateless people and the sabotage at the 1929 Women’s Air Derby.

The biggest surprise to me was how deeply I felt the doom of these brave, optimistic young people, all of whom would be exactly the right age to have their lives twisted out of shape by the coming war. It made me wonder whether the present generation of European teens can see the next stage of the war with Russia coming.

Career criminal Longview Moody, on the run from killers, assumes his dead, twin brother’s identity as the new Chief of Police of a Texas town that’s being terrorized by a Mexican drug cartel. To pull off the deadly deception, Longview desperately works to become the kind of cop and man that his brother was. But when the two lives he’s living converge, he’s forced to embrace the violence within him to get justice…and vengeance.

I was already a fan of Robert Dunn’s books, but reading ‘The Sound Of Distant Engines’ or even the dark and violent Katrina Williams books hadn’t prepared me for ‘Dead Man’s Badge‘. It was a full-on, action-packed, Southern Noir thriller, soaked in violence and powered by vengeance. 

‘Dead Man’s Badge‘ was an “I wanna stay up all night and finish this” kind of book, (at least it is was once I ditched the audiobook version and moved to ebook), that grabbed me from the first scene where our not-even-close-to-being-a-hero main character was being force to dig his own grave in the desert. 

The plot was clever and plausible. The plot moved forward on a powerful current of violence. The body count was high. I even started to if not like then at least admire our main character. He’s dangerous, disruptive, never thinks ahead and never gives up. He has an unfortunate habit of seeing violence as the solution rather than the problem, but he’s self-aware and far from stupid. 

I don’t understand why this wasn’t at the top of the bestseller list. It’s better than most of the Reacher novels – just as much action and mystery but with better dialogue and well-grounded in the political realities of the United States’ Federal Agencies. 

Nial Sarnin is twenty-one—far too young to have lost her beloved husband, Jika. One year after his death, Nial prepares to fly a kite sewn from his wedding shirt, believing it will carry Jika’s spirit to the stars.

But instead of drifting gently skyward, the spirit kite moves under Nial’s direct control, revealing her as a Kitemaster—a rare gift in a world forever ruled by winds and magic.

Her newfound powers attract Captain Wolf of the kiteship Midnight Rain. With runaway Prince Vikaan, Wolf seeks to thwart Queen Kavaya’s ruthless ambition to dominate the skies and conquer all neighboring kingdoms.

Nial may hold the key to stopping Kavaya’s brutal reign and saving countless lives—including those she loves most—but only if she learns to master her extraordinary gift in time.

Every gust of wind promises hope, renewal, and a chance to reshape a world teetering on the brink in this inspiring tale of loss, resilience, and transformation.

‘Kitemaster‘ (2025) is now my favourite Jim Hines book. For me, it sets the bar for what a Fantasy novel can be. 

It’s an exciting adventure with an against-the-odds struggle by an underdog locked in a righteous struggle with a powerful, ruthless enemy. It has a unique, well-thought-through magic system, great battle scenes, wonderful air serpents and enormous dragons. 

What impressed me most was that it never followed the obvious path. Nial did what needed to be done, but she always sought the route of least harm to others. Her enemy was ruthless and cruel, but still very human. 

Nial’s journey wasn’t powered by a hero’s zeal for an epic quest but by her need to protect her family and the other people she cares about. Perhaps most surprisingly of all, this is a novel that is made more powerful by its deep understanding of grief and loss.

Newly widowed and trying to cope with her grief, Winnie Mae Chisholm moves from Tennessee with her teenage son, Pax, to Oregon, hoping the change will let them both heal and move on. She’s warned when buying their new home that the next door neighbor, Mr. Fisher, is a famous recluse and no one has seen him in years, but that’s fine with her—she’s looking for quiet.
She’s not going to get it, however, because when Pax meets the neighbor, he discovers that the reason Mr. Fisher hides from the world is that he isn’t actually from this world. He’s been stranded for decades and he’s trying to get home, and he could really use some help.
Abruptly part of the best-kept secret on the planet, Winnie Mae and Pax have to protect Mr. Fisher from a nosy neighbor who would ruin his work and doom him to die among aliens, but they also have to ask themselves: How far would they go to escape their grief? Would another world be far enough?

I stumbled upon ‘The Hermit Next Door’ ‘ (2024) when I was looking for something else. I was hooked first by the premise and then by the closely observed character of Winnie Mae Chisholm. I spent a pleasant afternoon listerning to the audiobook version of the novel. For the most part, I had a good time but the ending was a little disappointing.

My review is HERE

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This week, I’ve moved two books from Wishlist to my TBR because they fit squares on my Halloween Bingo Card and added one more because I couldn’t resist the cover.

Benedict Sorellin-Lancaster hasn’t even broken in his lieutenant’s insignia when he’s summoned to meet with the Spirearch of Spire Albion himself for a very special—and very secret—purpose. The Spirearch needs Benedict to retrieve a bag he’s “misplaced” on the Colony Spire known as Dependence, which has strangely cut off all contact with the outside world. It’s a delicate mission at best, a potential bloodbath at worst.
To this end, the Spirearch has supplied Benedict with backup in the form of three Warriorborn. But unlike the courageous lieutenant, this trio has formerly used its special gifts for crime, carnage, and outright bloody murder. And all of them were caught and imprisoned because of Benedict. Now, if they behave—and make it back alive—they’ll go free.
But when the odd squad reaches Dependence, they soon discover something waiting for them: a horrific weapon that could shatter the balance of power among the Spires. And Benedict will have to bring his own Warriorborn skills to bear if he, his team, and Spire Albion are to have any hope of survival . . .

When ‘The Aeronaut’s Windlass‘ came out, ten years ago, I thought I was going to settle into another entertaining fantasy series by Jim Butcher. Then nothing happened. Nothing at all. For a very long time. Eight years later, this novella popped up. Not even a full book. And it seemed like a standalone that didn’t carry forward the story and characters that I’d invested time in in 2015. So, I sulked and didn’t buy it. A couple of months later, a full novel, ‘The Olympian Affair‘, came out. I moved both books to my wishlist but didn’t buy either of them – “Fool me once” and all of that.

I finally added this novella to my TBR pile because it’s a great fit for the ‘Marauding Corsairs’ Halloween Bingo square and because I heard that the third book is due out this year.

Sebastian Synard doesn’t want any more trouble than he already has. But when he leads a group of tourists along the cliffs of St. John’s harbour, one of them ends up dead. Not only is there a murderer in his tour group, but the cop assigned to the case is sleeping with Sebastian’s ex-wife. It seems like things can’t get any worse, but as he’s enlisted to help flush out the perpetrator, the trail leads deeper than expected, and Sebastian finds himself on the edge.

I’m garnering Canadian crime novels from a ‘Murder Across Canda’ summer reading challenge that two of my favourite reviewers are running. I had ‘One For The Rock‘ (2018) on my wishlist because the premise interests me and it’s the first book in the Sebastian Synard series (currently four books long). I moved it to my TBR becausse it’s a good fit for the Mysterious Mountains Halloween Bingo Square.

Sixteen-year-old twins Madeline and Catlin move to a new life in Ballyfrann, a strange isolated Irish town, a place where the earth is littered with small corpses and unspoken truths. A place where, for generations, teenage girls have gone missing in the surrounding mountains. As distance grows between the twins – as Catlin falls in love, and Madeline begins to understand her own nascent witchcraft – Madeline discovers that Ballyfrann is a place full of predators. And when Catlin falls into the gravest danger of all, Madeline must ask herself who she really is and who she wants to be – or, rather, who she might have to become to save her sister.

Despite the skull on the cover, I’m not planning on reading this book for Halloween Bingo. I was drawn to it by the alliterative title and the pretty cover. I haven’t read Deidre Sullivan before and not all YA books work for me, but I’m hoping this will have a blend of mystery and the supernatural that keeps me engaged.

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Next week, I’m retunring to two authors I’ve already read this year and trying out a new-to-me Science Fiction author. It should be a very varied week: A YA novel set inside Nazi Germany, a rollicking SF adventure and a thriller with a police prodedural spine.

Nazi Germany is a dangerous place for a girl with a stammer – and although her father tries to keep her safe, Ingrid can’t help feeling like she’s let him down. But in the air, soaring high as she pilots her beloved glider planes, Ingrid is free and incredibly talented.

When she gets the chance to fly in a propaganda tour alongside her hero, Germany’s daring female test pilot Hanna Reitsch, Ingrid leaps at the chance. But through Hanna, she will learn some dangerous truths about Germany’s secret missions and the plans that could change the course of the war to secure victory for the Nazi regime. When everything is at stake, Ingrid must decide where her loyalties lie …

After reading ‘Stateless‘, I went looking for more of Elizabeth Wein’s work. I usually avoid WWII novels, but this one is bold enough to be written from the point of view of a young woman making her career inside the Nazi establishment. I’m looking forward to seeing what Wein does with the premise.

Far off the edge of human existence, beside a dying star lies a nameless ship abandoned and hidden, lost for a millennium. But there are secrets there, terrible secrets that would change the fate of humanity, and eventually someone will come looking.
Refugee, criminal and linguist Sean Wren is made an offer he knows he can’t refuse: life in prison, “voluntary” military service – or salvaging data in a long-dead language from an abandoned ship filled with traps and monsters, just days before it’s destroyed in a supernova. Data connected to the Philosopher’s Stone experiments, into unlocking the secrets of immortality.
And he’s not the only one looking for the derelict ship. The Ministers, mysterious undying aliens that have ruled over humanity for centuries, want the data – as does The Republic, humanity’s last free government. And time is running out.
In the bowels of the derelict ship, surrounded by horrors and dead men, Sean slowly uncovers the truth of what happened on the ship, in its final days… and the terrible secret it’s hiding.

I’m always interested in finding new voices in Science Fiction. ‘The Immortality Thief‘ (2022) was Taran Hunt’s debut novel. It appeals to me because it’s bold and fast and exciting. The second book in the series. ‘The Unkillable Princess’ was published in February so, if I enjoy this, I won’t have to wait two years for the sequel.

Hampstead County Police Department is embroiled in scandal after corruption at the top of the force was exposed. Cleared of involvement and returned to active duty, Detective Sergeant Casey Wray nonetheless finds herself at a crossroads when it becomes clear not everyone believes she’s innocent.
Corruption
Partnered with rookie Billy Drocker, Casey works a shocking daytime double-homicide in downtown Rockport with the two victims seemingly unknown to one another. And when a third victim is gunned down on her doorstep shortly after, it appears an abusive ex-boyfriend holds the key to the killings.
Murder
With powerful figures demanding answers, Casey and Billy search for the suspect, fearing he’s on a murderous rampage. But when a key witness goes missing, and new evidence just won’t fit, the case begins to unravel.
Danger
With her career in jeopardy, Casey makes a shattering discovery that threatens to expose the true darkness at the heart of the murders… with a killer still on the loose…

I read ‘Black Reed Bay’ (2021), the first book in this series, earlier this month. I was delighted to find that my local Public Library had a copy of the sequel ‘Shatter Creek‘ (2025) available in a Large Print version. It arrived yesterday and I’m keen to get to it.