There Used To Be People Here Review

Author: Kennedy Cold

Publisher: Berkley

Release Date: Nov. 3, 2026

Special thanks to Berkley Publishing for a complimentary arc of this title for review. Opinions expressed are my own.

 In 1970s Mississippi, a Black detective and his temporary partner are assigned to a case that shifts from murder to paranormal conspiracy with life-altering repercussions.

With shades of The X-Files and S. A. Cosby, There Used to Be People Here deftly explores race, queerness, and existing as other in a society that demonizes everything different.

Review:

Author Kennedy Cole's debut novel, There Used To Be People Here, is a smorgasbord of genres . . . sci-fi, light horror, procedural crime, mystery and historical fiction all rolled into a unique story set in Wenton, Mississippi during the 1970's. Samuel Barkley is a gay, black detective attempting to climb the corporate ladder in a small, racist, homophobic town. He finds himself investigating the odd murder of a man in the bathroom of a gay bar. Joined by his new partner, Harvey, Samuel is repulsed by the gory scene before him. As the pair dive deeper into the case, it becomes clear that strange occurrences are happening in this small southern town and all is not as it seems. When Samuel and Harvey check out a nearby so-called plane crash, they find the FBI standing guard. Why are they guarding a "plane crash"? The truth will shatter the people of Wenton and turn Samuel's investigation upside down. Suddenly, a murder case turns into a fight for survival.

There are so many things going on in There Used To Be People Here. Some I expected, most I did not. Sci-Fi and/or Horror are not my go-to genres; however, Kennedy's haunting, descriptive prose pulled me into the story, and I found myself enjoying the journey despite myself. While the gore is a bit over-the-top for me, the characterizations and relationship development are outstanding as is the portrayal of life for blacks fighting for civil rights during the 70's in the south. As I settled into the story, the historical elements and Samuel's personal and professional journey kept me turning pages through several surprising twists. From start to finish, Kennedy does an amazing job of building tension and setting a dire tone in this Southern Noir procedural. As I mentioned above, I'm not a fan of Sci-Fi and/or Horror, but There Used To Be People Here defies classification and is so much more! Recommended for fans of sci-fi, horror, mystery, historical, and crime procedurals.

Synopsis:

Wenton, Mississippi: A man enters the bathroom of a local gay bar and doesn't come back out. Instead he's found cold, on the floor, and facing the wall. And no one seems to know how this happened.

Samuel Barkley is Wenton's only Black detective. Assigned to the case, Samuel's one goal is to keep his head down with eyes on moving up in the police ranks. But it's not easy with Harvey, a new, temporary partner who Samuel can't seem to like...or hate. Nor with the cold, questioning eyes and fake smiles from those in town. Persistent. Judging. Wrong. Samuel is reaching his breaking point.

As his investigation leads him to a curious plane crash cover-up, Samuel's placid existence is turned on its head. Because what crashed in Wenton isn't a plane. There are others here. They like it here. And if Samuel can't stop them, they will find a way to stay.

The Hired Man Review

Author: Sandra Dallas

Narrator: Jesse Vilinsky

Publisher: MacMillan Audio

Release Date: March 31, 2026

Special thanks to MacMillan Audio for a gifted audio arc of this title for review. Opinions expressed are my own.

The Dust Bowl sweeps a handsome stranger into a small Colorado town to dangerous effect

Review:

The Hired Man is a gritty, heartbreaking story that's set in Colorado in 1937, seven years into the Dust Bowl. Times are hard for everyone, especially the women who shoulder the responsibility of keeping their family together while withstanding the worst of their spouses' anger and resentment over perceived failures. Alcoholism and Domestic Violence are prevalent; however, the Kessler family is luckier than most as they are a close-knit family who still manage to scratch out a living on their farm. Protagonist Martha Helen Kessler is a teenager who tends to her young brother, Henry, and yearns for her older brother Emmet who left a long time ago seeking work in California. It is through her young voice that this story is told.

During this time period, drifters moving from place to place looking for work are run out of small towns, but when Otis Hobbs appears on the Kessler farm carrying a boy in his arms who was reported missing in the last storm, he's welcomed in. Despite the neighbors' strong objections and at the insistence of Martha Helen's mother, Otis is hired to work on the farm in exchange for meals, room and board. Otis is a handsome, mysterious loner who works hard and says little. Martha Helen and her friends are fascinated with him, but the town's prejudice against vagrants prevails and they're quick to hurl accusations and lay the blame at Otis's feet when a young girl goes missing. The Kessler’s have faith in Otis and use their limited resources to help defend him. The story that unfolds pits neighbor against neighbor in a heartbreaking search for the truth.

Author Sandra Dallas's work in Historical Fiction is highly impressive. The research she puts into each time period is evident as she captures the essence of the time with vivid settings and strong characterizations. As is often the case, Dallas focuses on the trials and tribulations of women and the moral dilemmas faced during the toughest of times while avoiding typical stereotypes in The Hired Man. The story develops slowly as all the players are introduced and the stage set with the pace picking up through some unforeseen twists. I suspect the ending may be controversial for some readers; however, after careful thought, I can't say I didn't see it coming. I did.

I enjoyed the audiobook of The Hired Man and highly recommend it. Narrator Jesse Vilinsky does an impressive job bringing the story to life through the characters' words. On the other hand, if audiobooks aren't your thing, this one is worth reading and would make for a great discussion in book clubs. Highly recommended to fans of historical fiction and mysteries.

Synopsis:

1937. It’s been seven years since the dust storms started in Colorado. Folks can barely remember a time when the clouds were filled with rain instead of dirt, and when the fields were green instead of brown. High school student Martha Helen Kessler and her family are luckier than most; they still eke out a living from the land. Even so, evidence of the Dust Bowl’s grim impact on families, especially on the women who bear the brunt of their husbands’ frustration and their children’s hunger, is everywhere.

When Martha Helen’s compassionate mother insists they take in Otis Hobbs, a handsome drifter who saves a local boy from a vicious storm, she quickly discovers a darker side to their rural community. Suspicion, jealousy, and prejudice grip their neighbors–and emotions reach a frenzy after Martha Helen’s best friend, Frankie, disappears and is then found murdered. Ultimately, Martha Helen is forced to make sense of her conflicting feelings and loyalties in order to help find retribution and to reconcile the difference between the law and justice.

Full of period detail and Sandra Dallas’s trademark focus on the lives of women, The Hired Man entertains and ultimately surprises.

Fury In Death Review

Author J.D. Robb

Series: In Death #63

Publisher: St. Martins Press

Release Day: Sept. 8, 2026

Special thanks to the publisher for a complimentary arc of this title for review. Opinions expressed are my own.  

In the new crime thriller from the #1 New York Times-bestselling author, Lt. Eve Dallas journeys into the darkness where murder is born…

Review:

Lt. Eve Dallas is called to the murder scene of a wealthy biotech executive, Larry Chu, who's been brutally beaten beyond recognition leaving no doubt that this murder was personal.  The perpetrator had to be extraordinarily strong, tech-savvy, and boiling with rage. Dallas has seen her share of violence, but nothing comes close to this. As Eve, husband Roarke, Peabody, Feeney and the rest of the NYPD regulars begin working the case, clues cast suspicion in the direction of the company Chu worked for. When more savagely violent murders are discovered, Eve and gang are in a race against time to find the string that ties them all together and stop a killer. 

Fury In Death, In Death #63, is a riveting, character driven, tautly plotted addition to the series. Robb never fails to deliver a unique, engaging plot line that holds my attention from start to finish. As always, one of my favorite things is following a tenacious Eve as she builds her murder board and contemplates the possibilities before unraveling the mystery and nailing the villain. As I've said many times before, the character development in these books is amazing and continues to be so. Eve's interactions with found family and friends showcase a softer side of the hardcore detective as she's become more acclimated socially - one that surprises her as much as others. Her development from book one to book 63 is astounding and yet believable. 

Fans of the In Death series will enjoy this suspenseful police procedural as will fans of intriguing, character driven mystery thrillers. Fast paced with Robb's signature sharp prose, Fury In Death is another must-read from one of my favorite authors.

Synopsis:

NYSPD homicide detective Eve Dallas never knows what to expect when she gets word of a body. It could be an elderly man who made the mistake of climbing a ladder in slippery footwear. And the next call could be a wealthy biotech executive beaten to death in his home office—but what was Larry Chu’s mistake?

The victim’s corpse is so mangled and damaged it’s hard to believe a lone, unarmed assailant could have managed it. The killer was clearly unnaturally strong—and smart enough to find a way into Chu’s highly secure building. Most of all, whoever did this was very, very angry.

The excessive violence leads Dallas to conclude that this was a deeply personal act, born of a rage that she can’t excuse but can understand thanks to her own traumatic past. And though the motive seems rooted in heated emotion rather than cold hard cash, she can’t ignore the suspicious bank account in the Cayman Islands, or the shadowy, profit-hungry company Chu worked for. The mystery only grows when it turns out Chu isn’t the only victim—and Dallas will need to tear through one layer of secrecy after another to reveal what lies behind this explosion of fury...

The Black Orchid Review

Author Loreth Anne White

Publisher: Montlake

Release Day: Sept. 1, 2026

 

Special thanks to the author for a complimentary arc of this title for review. Opinions expressed are my own.

Scroll down to Meet the Author!

A propulsive true crime-inspired thriller of masks, murder, and long-awaited justice by Washington Post bestselling author Loreth Anne White.

Review:

Author Loreth Anne White's The Black Orchid is an immersive, highly atmospheric, intricately plotted prime example of what White does best which is turning worldwide tragic events into incredible fictional works of art - mysteries that are so well written readers are left wondering where the facts end and the fiction begins. The Black Orchid emanates true crime vibes in a locked room style mystery/thriller playing out on the stunning Aegean Sea. Nine diverse guests board the Black Orchid luxury ship, each concealing their own dark past and personal, secret agenda behind a mask of deceit and lies. Readers know from the start that this trip is a disaster waiting to happen, and the clock begins ticking and suspense building the moment the scheming players are introduced. Mysterious Poppy Buchanan, a key piece of the puzzle, is on the guest list as the personal assistant to Lillith McGregor, an intriguing, wealthy elderly woman whose health is failing. Poppy's goal is to secure her future by hopefully being included in Lillith's Last Will & Testament. She can make it happen if no one uncovers the truth buried deep in her own dark past. Among other guests are an Ex-FBI Profiler who suspects a serial killer is on board, his daughter and intelligent, ambitious grandson Carter who wants to follow in his grandpa's footsteps. As a boy, Carter often appears "invisible" to guests while everything he observes or overhears is documented in his journal of "suspicious happenings". Lillith’s disinherited stepson and manipulative fiancée, a businessman harboring a dangerous past, an infatuated young worker and the mysterious, conniving man pulling her heartstrings are part of the smorgasbord of misfits aboard - all with hidden agendas, running cons and plotting final reckonings. The stage is set; the players are all there. Who will survive in the end?

The magnificent Aegean Sea setting lends a mysterious, almost mystic air with hints of Greek mythology and a siren's song woven throughout a story that overflows with family secrets, revenge, deception, and an overbearing sense of dread. The Black Orchid unfolds via a few points of view including Poppy and Carter's with his journal and a True Crime Podcast which is the perfect vessel for building suspense while funneling readers’ information. Short chapters titled as a countdown to the imminent, disastrous catastrophe that no one except readers know is coming drive home the sense of urgency felt by every greedy, devious soul aboard.

The Black Orchid is a heart racing, haunting, multi-layered mystery thriller that is nigh impossible to put down once you start reading. Armchair detective readers will be challenged by this mystery while sifting through a large cast of motivated, masked red herrings who are unaware their time is about to run out. Remember the Titanic?? The fact that this book is based off a true-life disaster is simply mind blowing and by the end of the final shocking reveal, this reader was happy to have survived! The Black Orchid is a stunning example of Author Loreth Anne White's undeniable talent and ability to turn real events into masterfully crafted fictional stories. Highly recommended to fans of mystery (think Agatha Christie), locked room style thrillers, and true crime stories and podcasts.

Synopsis:

By invitation only, nine elite guests board the luxurious Black Orchid for its maiden voyage through the mythic Aegean Sea. Not all of them will survive.

Poppy Buchanan, personal assistant to legendary war photographer Lillith McGregor, sees the cruise as her chance at a better life—if she can edge her way into Lillith’s will. But their exclusive company includes Lillith’s disinherited stepson and his ruthlessly ambitious fiancée, a silent Israeli businessman with a dangerous past, a charming Dutch antiquities dealer with an agenda of his own, and a retired FBI profiler hunting a serial killer he believes is aboard. Each passenger is a piece in a deadly puzzle decades in the making.

Within three days, their paths will collide during a catastrophic storm. Long-buried secrets surface. Masks fall away. And the ensuing revelations trigger a chain of events that leads to one of the most devastating maritime disasters in recent history. But the sinking of the Black Orchid is no accident—it’s a reckoning.

Meet the Author:

Loreth Anne White is an Amazon Charts, Washington Post and Bild bestselling author of thrillers, mysteries, and suspense.

With over 4 million books sold around the world in more than 20 languages, she is a Canadian Crime Writer winner, ITW Thriller Awards nominee, a three-time RITA finalist, an overall Daphne du Maurier Award winner, Arthur Ellis finalist, and winner of multiple other industry awards.

A recovering journalist who has worked in both South Africa and Canada, she now resides in the Pacific Northwest, dividing time between Vancouver Island, a ski resort in the Coast Mountains, and a rustic lakeside cabin in the Cariboo.

When she’s not writing or dreaming up plots, you will find her on the lakes, in the ocean, or on the trails where she tries—unsuccessfully—to avoid bears.

For more information on her books please visit her website at lorethannewhite.com

Or connect with her on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LorethBeswet...

Or via Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lorethannew...

The Secrets We Hide Review

Author Karin Slaughter

Series: North Falls #2

Publisher: William Morrow

Release Date: Aug. 11, 2026

Special thanks to the publisher for a complimentary arc of this title for review. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.

The next thrilling mystery in the new North Falls series from Karin Slaughter, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Pretty Girls and the Will Trent Series.

Review:

Author Karin Slaughter slips back into North Falls with The Secrets We Hide, another intense, heart stopping crime thriller that grabs readers by the throat and refuses to let go until every last dirty, dark secret is finally revealed. Set in surburban Georgia, Slaughter rips apart the myth of "perfect" small towns, exposing the ugly underbelly often lying beneath the facade of pretty little houses in perfect little neighborhoods with their ideal little families hidden inside. It's in one of these homes that Sheriff Emmy Clifton accompanied by her long-estranged sister, ex-federal agent Jude Archer, discovers the bloody body of Allison Vickrey lying in her kitchen. Even more disturbing, her young daughter is also found bloody and clinging to life upstairs. Who would do such a thing? It's soon clear that the who and why that seem so obvious to many may not be factual, and it's up to Emmy to uncover the ugly truth at any cost. With Jude by her side offering tactical advice much as her father did before, she begins interviewing locals. The truth that's eventually exposed is dark and shocking, striking fear in the hearts of locals. Is there a killer, a monster, living among them? Before it's all said and done, a generation of ugly secrets will be exposed. No one is safe, not even Emmy. 

One of my favorite things about a series is reconnecting with characters, book after book. Seeing the growth, the connections, the repercussions as truths are revealed. The fragile relationships, the emotional turmoil, the guilt and regret. The battle to overcome controversy, to prove yourself, to take charge of what's rightfully yours. It's all there in The Secrets We Hide, and no one does it better than Karin Slaughter. Time and again, just when you think you've figured it out, the shocking climax blows you away. You don't know, not even close. That's the magic of Karin Slaughter.

The Secrets We Hide is an emotionally charged, gripping masterpiece - a minefield of deception, lies and dirty secrets waiting to explode. I'm ecstatic to hear the author is working on book three! Highly recommended to fans of psychological thrillers, mysteries, and suspense. 

Synopsis:

Welcome to North Falls. A small town where everyone knows everyone. But nobody knows the truth.

1601 Iris Drive looks like any other house on the quiet, residential street. But rumors are rampant about the Vickery family, and what goes on behind closed doors.

When gunshots ring out, Sheriff Emmy Clifton and her sister, ex-federal agent Jude Archer, discover a devastating crime scene. Allison Vickery has been murdered in her own kitchen, and her teenage daughter is bleeding upstairs, left for dead.

Everyone thinks they know what happened. But secrets are buried everywhere in this small town.

And it’s up to Emmy Clifton to uncover the truth…

The Shippers Audiobook Review

Author: Katherine Center

Narrator: Patti Murin

Publisher: MacMillan Audio

Special thanks to St. Martin's Press & MacMillan Audio for a complimentary arc of this title for review. Opinions expressed are my own.

One of the hottest, fastest-rising rom-com stars delivers her latest swoon-worthy novel about a destination wedding on a cruise ship.

Review:

The Shippers is a delightful, often hilarious, always heartfelt romcom featuring two childhood best friends who reunite on a cruise ship and share in a goal to get JoJo romanced by a fellow childhood friend/crush on the cruise. At least that's the goal of JoJo. Cooper's motives are questionable. Did I mention that only six weeks prior JoJo fake fainted to get out of her own wedding and escaped with Cooper? Yes, the girl has commitment issues, and strong, steady, faithful Cooper is just the man to help her move on if he can convince her to see what's right in front of her. The story that unfolds is sweet, touching, chaotic, and funny while brimming over with a large dose of miscommunication. All it would take is one honest conversation between JoJo and Cooper to clear things up, but it doesn't happen until the end. And that's okay because the journey getting there is worth the ride.

I listened to the audiobook of The Shippers and highly recommend it. Narrator Patti Murin does an awesome job bringing the personalities of each character to life and distinguishing between each of them. Her performance is flawless, upbeat, and reflective of the personalities of both main characters taking this story to another level.

The Shippers is highly entertaining, funny and heart touching. The secondary plotline involving JoJo's parents added debt and emotional turmoil. The chemistry between the main characters is intense as it evolves throughout the story. I enjoyed the note by the author talking about romance and happy ever after's. Highly recommended to fans of fake dating and friends-to-lovers romance with a heavy side of humor.

Synopsis:

After a whole lifetime of being bad at love, JoJo Burton decides to solve her intimacy issues once and for all at her sister’s destination wedding on a cruise ship. With the help of a little pop psychology, she diagnoses herself with a fixation on the neighborhood guy who was her her first crush and first kiss (and who just happens to be a newly-divorced wedding guest ), and she decides to woo him during the cruise for some long-delayed closure. Only problem is, her sister’s a little busy being a bride at the moment—so JoJo ropes in her childhood bestie, Cooper Watts, to be her wing man. Cooper: who RSVPed no, but then showed up, anyway. Cooper: who left town without a word four years earlier and moved to London. Cooper: who was, if she’s honest, the worst heartbreak of JoJo’s life. It’s bliss for her to see him again, and it’s agony, too—and the more they team up for Project Conquest, the more she obsesses over questions she can’t bring herself to ask.

Shipboard antics ensue in this witty, heart-tugging, childhood-friends-to-lovers romance—as JoJo and Cooper fake flirt, slow dance, share a cabin, sing duets, treat sunburns, get jealous, rescue each other over and over, and finally, at last, figure it all out in the most blissful, swoony, romantic way.

No one does summer romance quite like Katherine Center. THE SHIPPERS will take readers on the cruise of a lifetime in a story awash with romantic longing, top-notch banter, long-held secrets . . . and true love rediscovered.

Summer's Never Over Blog Tour Review

Author: Darby Bozeman

Publisher: Berkley

Release Date: June 9, 2026

Many thanks to Berkley Publishing for a complimentary arc of this title for review. Opinions expressed are my own.

In this addictive dual-timeline debut novel, a woman confronts her past at the remote Southern summer camp where the tragic death of her fellow counselor may not have been an accident after all.

Review:

It's been five years since Greer fled her family's highly rated summer camp in Georgia following the tragic death of her friend and co-counselor, Steph, in a fire. At the death of her own mother, the camp matriarch, Greer is forced to return to lay her mother to rest and handle her affairs. Old memories and ghosts of years past haunt her as she gets reacquainted with former camp counselors and attendees. It doesn't take long for the past to cast a long shadow over the camp raising questions and accusations about what really happened the night Steph died. Was it a tragic accident . . . or something more sinister?  It appears Greer will have to either keep the lid on long-buried family secrets or face the truth. 

Summer's Never Over is an addictive, highly atmospheric thriller that's sure to be THE book to read in the summer of 2026, The story unfolds via Greer's point of view in a dual timeline at a remote camp setting with a multitude of suspense and red herrings. A dark, ominous tone drives the story forward through a twisted plot line that includes rumors of a mysterious phantom haunting the woods. While I guessed correctly on a couple of twists, it did not lessen my enjoyment as the tension ramps up chapter by chapter. Author Darby Bozman's outstanding debut novel is one I highly recommended to readers who enjoy books with a camp style mystery and setting and those who enjoy suspense thrillers.

Synopsis: 

Five years ago, Greer left her family’s summer camp in the mountains of Georgia and vowed she’d never return. An idyllic season had turned into a nightmare after a mysterious Phantom began stalking the camp—and ended with Greer’s friend and fellow counselor dead. Losing Steph shattered everything, and Greer’s been fleeing from the grief ever since. 

But then Greer’s mother dies, and Greer finds herself back at Dread’s Cove, surrounded by the people she was closest to that intense summer. Two ex-boyfriends—one a childhood sweetheart, the other the guy she's never gotten over—and old friends. Including Margo, Steph's best friend.

Greer and Margo didn’t leave things on the best of terms. But now, Margo needs her. Margo never believed that Steph’s death in that horrific fire was an accident—and she’s on the trail of an explosive secret Steph took to her grave.

Greer has to make a keep the Cove’s secrets and her own or finally face the truth about that summer.

Meet the Author:

Darby Bozeman is a Portland, Oregon native who moved to Georgia for grad school a decade ago and thinks she can now officially call herself Southern. When she’s not reading or writing, she loves acting in community theater, discussing pop culture, and going out to buy coffee even when she could very much make it at home. She lives in Knoxville with her husband, Bryan, and their cat, Claude. Find her at @darbyboze and darbybozeman.com.