Since finishing the Shetland series by Ann Cleeves, I was looking forward to meeting her new detective, Matthew Venn. And what a lovely and thoughtful man he is! I enjoyed meeting his partner, Jonathan, and their cozy home. And I'm so intrigued about Matthew's upbringing and hope that Cleeves revisits it in her upcoming novels. This mystery kept me on my toes - I couldn't guess the killer or motive until the very end. Exactly as it should be!

I couldn't put down this novel. After 17 year old Nadia's mother committed suicide, she's left alone with her father and falls down a rabbit hole of complicated relationships. 'The Mothers' are the women at Nadia's church - you know the ones. They're the women who run the prayer circle, cook food for their church family during hard times, and have an endless supply of gossip.

I said What are you thinking??! to Nadia so many times while reading this book. This girl - who is smart, beautiful, and kind - kept making cringeworthy decisions. Grief is powerful and it is on full display in this smart and thoughtful book.

This was fabulous on audio. Robin Wall Kimmerer combines her Indigenous wisdom with her knowledge from being a botanist in this wonderful book of essays. It's amazing how much scientific knowledge Native Americans gathered just by loving and respecting the land that sustained them.

Maisie Dobbs is a woman ahead of her time! This was an interesting mystery - a group of women are picked off one by one and Maisie is certain their deaths are related. The conclusion is quite tragic and reminds us that wars are fought in so many different arenas.