Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC. 

Above all, the writing for this one is amazing. I would love to read another book from Chang just from her writing alone. 


This is dual timeline, literary fiction that unspools and splits like a skein of yarn. In one timeline we follow Eleanor, whose life has honestly derailed a little bit. Her mom just died and she's dropped out of her PhD program and is now working as a lab tech in her husband's lab. She's done some illegal mini lab side projects on her own and done a few more things that she shouldn't have. 

In the second timeline, we follow her parents immigrating from Taiwan to start their lives in America and what follows in a relationship with no love.

Ultimately, when the timelines came together I was left confused. It hit like a bang and was finished so quickly I'm still unsure what happened? 

I think ultimately the way that Eleanor's perspective and life just kept unraveling made this plot seem like it was rolling down a mountain like a boulder not being able to stop until it combusts, which I really enjoyed. 

However, it is so hard for me to enjoy this new 2023 theme in publishing where women in STEM are so messy and weak. That made it knock it down though I ultimately enjoyed the story as a whole. Another reason I knocked it down is Eleanor's actions (drinking or eluding to drinking) while pregnant. A neuroscience PhD is going to drink while pregnant? 

I'd recommend this one to lovers of meandering literary fiction, but I'm not sure if it's going to be a hit for summer reading. I think it should've been released earlier in the spring or maybe early fall. 

DNFing solely because the writing plus narration style aren’t working for me. 

Anti-Multilevel marketing podcasts and shows have always interested me so I was excited to pick this one up. Sadly at just 19% in, there’s really not anything new. 

It’s easy to deduce which MLM she was in, but at this point I think I’ll stick to Roberta Blevins and her podcast for anti-MLM content instead of finishing this.

After loving book one in the Secret Staircase Mystery series in 2022, I was so excited to get back in to following Tempest, Ash, and Darius in the second installment.

Here Pandian takes the readers into a locked room mystery straight out of an Agatha Christie novel. Tempest and crew are with a customer's house celebrating a finished project with a séance, when Lavina's ex-husband lands on the table - dead. 

With a new detective in town, Ash is quickly arrested upon suspicion but Tempest will do anything to make sure her grandfather is innocent. With her grandmother in Scotland and her dad not answering his phone, it's up to Tempest and her friends to figure out who did it. 

I think this was a good take on the locked room mystery, it kept me guessing who did it until it was revealed. However, something really took me out of the story and it took me much longer to read it than it should have. 

Just as in book one, there is still mention of the disappearance of Tempest's mother, Emma. Now suddenly her grandmother may still be investigating it and a draft of a new novel basically points to the Tempest's dad being behind the disappearance. I found this plot line popped up at the worst times in book two and took me out of the plot. It felt like it was just thrown in instead of woven and it didn't work well.

I'm interested to see where the story with Emma goes from here, but I hope it's woven in better in future installments. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Anchor for a galley in exchange for an honest review. 

As is becoming a normal for me, I picked up Slocumb’s sophomore novel before picking up The Violin Conspiracy. Even though I haven’t read his first book, it’s clear to me that Slocumb hasn’t hit a sophomore slump.

I was intrigued by this dual timeline plot the entire time. 

Present time, Dr Bern Hendricks is called on by the Delaney Foundation to look at the authenticity a piece by Frederick Delaney of what supposed to be his magnum opus song. He brings in his friend Ebonie to help, and as the two dig deeper, nothing is what it seems.

In the 1920s, song-writer, pianist, and salesman Frederick Delaney meets Josephine Reed, a neurodivergent woman living on the streets who a keen ear of music. As the two pair up, success comes quickly, but as we all know success comes at a price. 

As Bern and Ebonie dig deeper, they come closer to revealing something that would ruin the Delaney’s and their perfect reputation. 

I loved this mix of mystery and music (so much piano) and the twists and turns kept me hooked the entire time. 

Highly recommend.

DNFing because then more I think about it, the more I don't want to finish this one.

It's only going to go downhill from page 11 if the author includes, "You are literally leaching my vagina of moisture".

Since starting it, I've only had people messaging telling me they wish they hadn't finished it so I'm not going to waste my time. 

I also have zero interest following a female main character who has been lusting after a mediocre man for 15 years. 

Nor do I want to read a book where the author considers it plus size rep when the male main character just stare's at the FMC's boobs and says she's full-figured. EYE ROLL.

This is bad. I don’t know if the translation made the writing stunted? 

Read in one day because it was just that good! Won’t be reading book three though because I’ve heard it’s horrible 

Things I can say:

1. I’m glad I read The Family Game first before picking up this. Steadman’s writing has improved a lot since the release of something in the water 

2. Reese’s Book Club and I don’t mix.