Who doesn’t enjoy a murder mystery at sea? While this seventh “Lady Sherlock” mystery (after Miss Moriarty, I Presume) does not advance the larger series plot in any way, it is still an amusing look at characters fans have grown to love. Readers of authors such as Deanna Raybourn should give these novels a try. While this could work as a stand-alone, best to start with book one to fully appreciate the skillful character development.
Jarvis brings the city of Florence to life, including many of its well-known residents. However, fantasy readers will wish she had spent more time building the magical aspects of her world. A good choice for fans of historical fiction authors such as Susan Vreeland and Tracy Chevalier.
Ballingrud, whose story collection North American Lake Monsters was adapted as the Hulu TV series Monsterland, makes his full-length novel debut with this Wild West frontier story on Mars that edges into horror.
Maxwell’s debut novel is definitely not your traditional “murder in a quaint village” historical mystery; an optional purchase might be of interest to fans of Daphne du Maurier.
Reminiscent of Mary Stewart’s period romances, but with a touch of magic and murder. Holmberg’s fantasy is enjoyable but doesn’t stand out, and the magical system is only cursorily laid out in this series launch.
Existing fans will appreciate the romantic plot developments, while new readers could treat this as a standalone but would be better served by starting with book one, A Study in Scarlet Women. Suitable for those who enjoy Deanna Raybourn’s “Veronica Speedwell” mysteries.
This dark, YA-crossover, coming-of-age fairy tale really only has its Eastern European atmosphere going for it. The action focuses almost exclusively on Évike and Gáspár, who are very two-dimensional. Readers expecting something like the Grishaverse or Naomi Novik’s books will be disappointed.