DAYS OF FEASTING AND REJOICING (2026) - Review

 

DAYS OF FEASTING AND REJOICING
by David Bergen
My rating: 4 out of 5 Stars 
Available: May 12, 2026

Award-winning Winnipeg author David Bergen decided to go in a different direction with his new book. Described as a crime novel, it reveals connections to author Patricia Highsmith's character Tom Ripley, some subtle and some not. Bergen has crafted a female who assumes another woman's identity which leads to "accidental villainy" and beyond.

FIRST SENTENCE: "They flew from Bangkok to Bali, arriving in the late afternoon."

THE STORY: Esther Maile, an expat American in Thailand, is currently living with the popular Christine. On a holiday in Bali, Christine is caught by an ocean wave and Esther tries to save her but fails. When the police arrive there is confusion as to who drowned allowing Esther to change her identity. 

WHAT I THOUGHT: Having always been fascinated by Tom Ripley's character, I wondered how Bergren would handle the female version. I was swept up in this psychological drama that draws on the authors own experience living in Thailand "with expatriate gossip, sexual tension, unexpected violence, a passion for food, and a woman who, seemingly unhindered by questions of truth or morality, hints at the darkness in all of us."  

BOTTOM LINE: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED but not for the squeamish. The whole time I was reading Days of Feasting and Rejoicing I wondered what the title meant. It came to me the minute I finished the last page. It's a perfect description. If you read it, let me know what you think.

DISCLAIMER: A copy of Days of Feasting and Rejoicing was provided to me by Blackstone Publishing / NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

 

CURRENTLY READING - July 2026

 

BORING ASIAN FEMALE by Canwen Xu

 

THE STORM (2026) - Review

THE STORM
by Rachel Hawkins
My rating: 4 out of 5 Stars 
On sale: January 6, 2026

For many years, a condo on the Alabama Gulf Coast was the family choice for  February, so when I read a review for Rachel Hawkins The Storm, it went right to the top of my book list.

The town's name is changed to St. Medard’s Bay, and it's famous for three things: deadly hurricanes, an Inn that’s survived every storm, and a local girl accused of the murder of her lover, a member of a political family, during Hurricane Marie in 1984.

FIRST SENTENCE: "It's worse when they come at night."

THE STORY: Rosalie Inn, currently managed by Geneva Corliss, has survived every hurricane, but is struggling financially. A writer appears at the Inn, planning to stay and find the answer to the murder of Landon Fitzroy. But the writer isn't alone, bringing with him the woman who was accused but never convicted. Is she guilty or innocent?

Geneva keeps a close eye on another monster storm making its way towards St. Medard’s Bay while trying to second guess the secrets of her friends and family both alive and gone.

WHAT I THOUGHT: Often referred to as Gothic suspense, I was totally involved in The Storm and the author's use of media, including letters and transcripts. Opening slowly the reader is drawn to the emotionally rich characters and like the storm approaching, eventually surrounded.

BOTTOM LINE: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED 

DISCLAIMER: A copy of The Storm was provided to me by St. Martin's Press / NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

 

 

THE CLOSE (2023) - Review

THE CLOSE
by Jane Casey
My Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
On sale: June 13, 2023 

If you're a fan of British / Irish mysteries and thrillers, don't miss Jane Casey's Maeve Kerrigan series. The Close is the tenth book featuring London's DS (Detective Sergeant) Maeve Kerrigan and DI (Detective Inspector) Josh Derwent. 

FIRST LINE: "All murder investigations were different and yet all of them began the same way, at least for me: standing in silence near a body, trying to catch the faintest echo of what had happened."

THE STORY: A crime thriller, blurring professional and personal lives, sends DS Maeve Kerrigan and DI Josh Derwent, undercover as a couple, to Jellicoe Close, a perfect suburban neighborhood. They are to investigate a conspiracy and a suspicious death. 

WHAT I THOUGHT: The plot was a bit complicated this time and romantic issues often took focus. Having said that, I still devoured the book in short time. One thing about Casey's plots is that the stories stay with you. Her writing and storytelling is distinct. 

There are twelve titles in the series with the addition of The Secret Room (2025), and you can read them out of order. Just know that the two characters grow and change over the years and you will miss that aspect. I've read several of Jane Casey's books after discovering the The Burning in 2010. You can search her name in the box on the upper left to read my earlier reviews.

BOTTOM LINE: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED Don't hesitate to pick up The Close or any book with Jane Casey's name on it! . (And it has another great cover!)

DISCLAIMER: A copy of The Close was provided to me by Harper 360 | HarperCollins / netgalley.com in exchange for an honest review.

EVENSONG (2025) - Review

EVENSONG
by Stewart O'Nan
My Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
On Sale: November 11, 2025
 

When I found Emily, Alone, I read it and fell in love with author Stewart O'Nan because his writing about the elderly so closely matched what I was experiencing. The fact that his characters inhabit Pittsburgh, where I lived for many years, counts heavily too. 

"Evensong", was a lovely title to pick up before the Christmas holidays. It doesn't take long to realize that each chapter is more like a short story and a reader of any age will recognize their own hopes and fears. 

FIRST LINE: "In 2022, Joan Hargrove falls down the stairs."

THE STORY: A group of older women in Pittsburgh called the "Humpty Dumpty Club," support each other through "aging, loss, and life's challenges", helping each other and navigating their own personal struggles.

WHAT I THOUGHT: O'Nan's writing is thoughtful and detail oriented. It's comforting, as a reader, to find that one is not alone. You can read the other books about the Maxwell family individually but it's not necessary. Wish You Were Here (2002) about Emily, followed by Emily, Alone (2011) focusing on Emily's widowhood, and concluding with Henry, Himself (2019).

VERDICT: HIGHLY RECOMMENDED

DISCLAIMER: A copy of Evensong was provided to me by Grove Atlantic / Atlantic Monthly Press / netgalley.com

  

WRITERS AND LIARS (2025) - Review

WRITERS AND LIARS
by Carol Goodman
My Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
On Sale: July 15, 2025

It's a great title. But I actually chose to read "Writers and Liars" because if I could write, I would wish it was like Carol Goodman. Her stories are literate mysteries, well-written, with interesting characters. The other thing about this book that drew me in was the way Greek mythology was woven throughout the plot. Oh, and I love islands.

FIRST SENTENCE: "The envelope lands with a thud on my desk with the rest of the day's mail."

THE STORY: "Writers and Liars" is a 'closed door' mystery with hints of Agatha Christie on an isolated idyllic Greek island owned by a wealthy man. Maia, our heroine, actually wrote one book in anger, after a retreat there years ago, sure she had been betrayed by friends. Now she has been invited back with the same group of writers. Will her curiosity be worth the pain? What could possibly go wrong?

WHAT I THOUGHT: Goodman is an excellent writer, but the plot this time is a bit complicated and there were things that seemed a bit contrived.

VERDICT: Highly recommended for those who love literate mysteries.

DISCLAIMER: A copy of "Writers and Liars" was provided to me by William Morrow/NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. 

 

THE VANISHING PLACE (2025) - Review

THE VANISHING PLACE
by Zoë Rankin 
My Rating: 4 of 5 Stars
On Sale: September 16, 2025
 

If you're tired of the cold weather, pick up Zoë Rankin’s debut thriller, "The Vanishing Place". The New Zealand bush setting will draw you in to a dense and isolated world where family secrets, trauma, and identity are revealed in a page-turning dual-timeline narrative.

FIRST SENTENCE: "The child didn't know it then." 

THE STORY: Effie successfully escaped a terrifying childhood in an isolated community in the bush years ago and fled to Scotland for a new life; but her past violently returns when a young girl, Anya, emerges from the wilderness covered in blood and bearing an unsettling resemblance to Effie’s younger self. Returning to the remote place she swore she’d never see again, she searches for answers about a murder and the fate of her lost family.

The story alternates between young Effie’s desperate life of neglect and secrets in the past and adult Effie’s current investigation by layering tension and revealing truths with perfect pacing making it hard not to be completely absorbed by Effie's strength and the heartbreaking plight of her siblings.

WHAT I THOUGHT: Effie’s struggle to reconcile her traumatic childhood memories with her current reality, is richly drawn. The secrets are complex, the twists are genuinely shocking, and the neglect and hardship she endured give the thriller depth.

Towards the end, the twists become almost too complicated and every one of the last few chapters, I thought might be at the end, but because I was reading on a Kindle, I continued to turn pages and there was more to read. It's a bit disorientating. 

VERDICT: "The Vanishing Place" is a phenomenal debut that beautifully describes New Zealand's mysterious bush and a deeply disturbing mystery. It’s HIGHLY RECOMMENDED for readers who enjoy psychological thrillers where the setting is as important as the characters. You won't soon forget this story.

DISCLAIMER: A copy of "The Vanishing Place" was provided to me by Berkley Publishing Group /NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.