Review: The Devil's Bible: A Cotton Malone Novel

The Devil's Bible: A Cotton Malone Novel by Steve Berry
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The Devil's Bible is the 20th book in the Cotton Malone series by Steve Berry.  I wouldn't start here unless you want some serious spoilers.  Fans of the series will recognize flashbacks to previous books. 

The Devil's Bible or the Codex Gigas is an actual manuscript from Bohemia that has quite an interesting story of its own.  While it is the title of this book, I didn't find it played as much of a role as I anticipated.  Or at least, it wasn't as prominent in the story.  There was much more about the Swedish royal family or this fictional version of it and spycraft.  Without giving anything away, this book also changes the course of the series whether you were ready for it or not.  It was a gut punch for me, but I respect Steve Berry and trust he has a plan!  

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Review: The Mystic and the Missing Girl: A Mystery

The Mystic and the Missing Girl: A Mystery by Vikki VanSickle
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Full Disclosure: I received an Advanced Reader's Copy of The Mystic and the Missing Girl: A Mystery by Vikki VanSickle from Minotaur Books via NetGalley.  This book will be published around September 8, 2026.

The Mystic and the Missing Girl: A Mystery by Vikki VanSickle is sort of cozy mystery adjacent.  When Drew moves back to her home town to take over the shop her aunt left her, she gets involved in solving a cold case that her aunt had also tried to solve using her mystical gifts.  I share Drew's love of whipped cream-topped beverages and tarot cards.  I enjoyed the witchy elements of the story and the shop.  It seemed like a cool place. Fun characters and perfect small-town drama. There are some hot guys, but this isn't really a romance-type of book.  I felt it had the potential for a sequel or a series.  

Bonus points for having a shop cat!

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Review: The Secret Dinner

The Secret Dinner by Raphael Montes
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Full Disclosure: I received an Advanced Reader's Copy of The Secret Dinner by Raphael Montes from Celadon Books via NetGalley.  This book will be published in English around August 18, 2026.

The Secret Dinner by Raphael Montes is dark.  It was described as a mystery/thriller, but it is more horror in my opinion.  There was definitely dark humor in it as well.  Four childhood friends trying to make it in the big city find themselves struggling to pay rent and resort to some pretty extreme measures to get the money so they won't be evicted.  Throwing a pop-up dinner when one of them is a chef isn't a bad idea.  But even that doesn't go as anticipated.  You will need a strong stomach to get through this menu.  Don't say I didn't warn you!  

P.S.  Have never been more grateful to be a vegetarian!

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Review: The Art of Confidence

The Art of Confidence by Wendy Lee
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Wendy Lee is related to a friend of mine, so I was gifted a copy of The Art of Confidence when it first came out.  Now that I've finished it, I am sorry I didn't read it sooner.  I was hesitant in case I didn't like it.  As it turns out, it is quite good!  The focus on art in general was fascinating.  The inclusion of Chinese art history and culture were a wonderful surprise.  It took me back to studying art in Hangzhou.  And yes, you do basically just copy the masters.  The story follows several characters as their lives intersect.  There are mysteries and misunderstandings.  Some of the men are loathsome but not all male artists are letches apparently.  If you like art, give this a read.

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Review: Unlocked: An Oral History of Haden's Syndrome

Unlocked: An Oral History of Haden's Syndrome by John Scalzi
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Unlocked: An Oral History of Haden's Syndrome is the prequel novella to the Lock In series by John Scalzi.  I haven't read the rest of the series yet.  This could definitely be read as a standalone story.  I'm not sure if it has any spoilers for the rest of the books. I really enjoyed this novella and finished it in one sitting. It reminded me so much of the COVID times I had to go see when it was written.  It was published way before COVID which makes it even scarier to think John Scalzi warned us of what was coming.  Haden's Syndrome is not COVID though.  If it doesn't kill you, there is a chance it will leave you "locked in" your body.  Your mind works just fine but your body won't move.  This creates a whole host of other issues for the entire world. The history is told through a series of interviews with various people who were touched by Haden's in some way.  So good!

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Review: Unknown Number

Unknown Number by Blue Neustifter
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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Review: STET

STET by Sarah Gailey
My rating: 5 of 5 stars



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