I Killed the King by Rebecca Mix & Andrea Hannah

I KILLED THE KING by Rebecca Mix and Andrea Hannah is a very creative take on a locked room mystery. The cast of characters is complex: Oak, personal guard to Costis, King of Avendell; Prince Kellam, heir to the throne; Melarie, a princess from Istellia and Kellam’s betrothed; Clove, an empathetic beast handler; Vesryn, an assassin planning to murder King Costis; and Ellion, a failed healer turned necromancer; plus various court attendants, other royals, and the Gods themselves. The six young people build a bond as more and more bodies are discovered, magical powers are tested, and romantic feelings are expressed. Tension builds as they frantically race against the clock to ensure that a treaty is signed. Perhaps it was intentional, but I found the multiple points of view and travelling across the barrier between life and death added a great deal of confusion. I KILLED THE KING has so many twists and unexpected pivots that it could make a good movie or streaming series. One of Us is Lying by McManus is frequently recommended as a read-alike. The audiobook is narrated by Dan Bittner who does an excellent job.

Coded Justice by Stacey Abrams

CODED JUSTICE by Stacey Abrams is the third book in the mystery series featuring lawyer Avery Keene. Currently working as an internal investigator, Avery accepts a client whose innovative product (a computerized neural network with talking robots) utilizes artificial intelligence algorithms to provide patient care to veterans. Run by a dedicated ex-military scientist, Rafe Diaz, the company is about to execute an IPO, but another scientist/coding engineer has died recently. Was it some kind of malfunction in the air conditioning system (as the local police believe) or malicious intent? Avery and her team (Jared, the cyber security expert; Noah, a lawyer and financial analyst; and Ling, a doctor) have a limited time to discover the truth, especially as more deaths occur, increasingly pointing to danger for all. This thriller is complex with plenty of suspects. If the pace seems slow at times, that is balanced by being informative and thought-provoking about the ethical dilemmas associated with artificial intelligence. CODED JUSTICE received a starred review from Booklist (“The very real concerns with veteran health, privacy, and the chilling prospect of AI run amok will engage readers’ brains and souls.”)

Dark Horse by Felix Francis

DARK HORSE by Felix Francis (Hands Down) continues in the spirit of horse racing mysteries of which Dick Francis was such a champion. His son introduces Imogen Duffy, a young conditional jockey, and reprises the beloved character of Sid Halley. The book feels disjointed, though, with the first half focused on Imogen’s racing career and its disruption by her abusive ex-boyfriend and fellow jockey, Liam Carson. He is stalking her but is clever enough to persuade others that she is irrationally threatening him. A sudden death leads to a murder trial, and it is in the second half where Sid Halley becomes involved – checking alibis and witness statements in an attempt to provide a viable defense and discover the truth. Although the story does not flow as smoothly as some of the best from Dick Francis himself (the reference to his life size statue at Aintree Racecourse is a nice salute), readers will enjoy the suspense (once again, Sid’s life is threatened) and the vivid descriptions of racing and horse jumping action.

Hunter's Heart Ridge by Sarah Stewart Taylor

HUNTER'S HEART RIDGE by Sarah Stewart Taylor (Agony Hill) is the second in a mystery series featuring state police detective Frank Warren and his neighbor Alice Bellows set in 1965 Vermont. It is the start of deer season when Warren and his assistant, Pinky Goodrich, are called to the Ridge Club, an exclusive hunting club, due to what is first presumed to be an accidental shooting death. Soon an early blizzard arrives, and the two police officers are marooned at the club, with plenty of likely suspects (diplomats, soldiers, and businessmen who have known each other for over twenty years) and even more weapons. Although Warren seems out of his depth at times and his questioning of suspects is rather repetitive, Taylor adds suspense due to the dangerous storm, discovery of another body, and an unexpected childbirth. She clearly cares for these characters, flaws included, and their tense, edgy adventures are likely to appeal to readers who enjoy works by Elly Griffiths, Ann Cleeves, and Jane Harper.

Lauryn Harper Falls Apart by Shauna Robinson

LAURYN HARPER FALLS APART by Shauna Robinson is a LibraryReads Hall of Fame selection for September 2025. It is a cute story about a confused young woman who finds her way after being demoted due to a misunderstanding at her workplace. I read portions of the ebook and listened to the majority of the Spotify audiobook which is excellent. The narrator, Deanna Anthony, perfectly captures the bewilderment and self-delusion that Lauren Harper exhibits as she repeatedly is her own best enemy, reluctant to rely on the collegiality of other disgraced and misfit corporate employees. They have all been sent to a rural outpost which hosts the charity arm, Ryser Cares, of a big and often controversial conglomerate. Together the group bonds as they attempt to resurrect the former Fall Festival in order to raise funds to support Greenstead’s Community Center. I think Robinson’s fans will enjoy this feel-good tale, even if it seems very predictable. My own issues are similar to those I expressed about her earlier work, The Banned Bookshop of Maggie Banks: the financials just don’t add up. If Lauren is set to retire in the next few years, what is keeping her from donating (or loaning) $10K to cover the festival costs? Surely, she has that amount readily available and doesn’t need to subject readers to repeated musings about where she can find sources of funds. And, to me, Ryser’s funding proposals and grants seem so inconsistent as shown by the wide disparity versus funds they eventually allocate. A heartfelt story evoking memories of local festivities.

The Magician of Tiger Castle by Louis Sachar

THE MAGICIAN OF TIGER CASTLE by Louis Sachar was a Library Reads Selection for August 2025 and received a starred review from Publishers Weekly (“melancholy, heartfelt, and utterly immersive Renaissance-esque fantasy”). Yes, there is a sense of sadness and foreboding as a magician, Anatole, attempts to prevent unhappiness for two star-crossed lovers, a young apprentice scribe named Pito and a charming princess, Tullia. But the experimentation with various potions takes a long time and story dragged for me so it did not feel all that magical. Anatole was attempting to have the lovers lose the memory of each other and therefore their personalities seemed somewhat fragile, too, making it difficult to develop concern about their fate. This is Sachar’s first attempt at a novel intended for adults; some read-alikes that came up on the library catalog which I would heartily recommend include The Listeners by Maggie Stiefvater and The Emily Wilde series by Heather Fawcett. Plus, of course, there are numerous fabulous books by similar authors (like Carl Hiaasen, Jack Gantos, and Richard Peck) that adults will enjoy even if they are primarily intended for younger readers.

Dream School by Jeffrey Selingo

DREAM SCHOOL by Jeffrey Selingo (Who Gets In and Why) is the latest round in his writings about “Finding the College That's Right for You.” Here, Selingo leverages his decades long experience plus surveys with thousands of parents collected during two years of research; he once again stresses the benefit of looking beyond super selective schools. The book is divided into three main sections which outline often faulty assumptions, the “new admissions landscape,” and what to look for in a dream school. An appendix lists specific colleges (Hidden Values, Breakout Regionals, and Large Leaders), with a brief description and anecdotal standout factor for each. Learning about and choosing between schools is a difficult task, filled with emotion and incomplete information. Called a “refreshingly practical approach to choosing where to apply” by Lisa Damour, resources like Selingo’s offer a helpful perspective to both students and parents. DREAM SCHOOL received a starred review from Publishers Weekly and was the subject of a recent Family Action Network session with Frank Bruni (scroll to bottom of that page for video).