Series Sunday: Return of the Spider

(Alex Cross #34) 

Series Sunday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.

• Read an installment of a series.
• Share your review/recommendation below.
• Include the title, author and series name.

My Series Sunday pick is Return of the Spider, the 34th book in the Alex Cross series by James Patterson.

What a treat to take Alex Cross back to the original days of him catching a spider. In this 34th installment of the Detective Alex Cross series, we are taken back in time. Cross was a rookie. Sampson was learning the job. And the infamous Gary Soneji entered the scene. Return of the Spider is the companion to Along Came the Spider, the debut novel that introduced our beloved Detective Cross.

"What was the psychology behind that?" ~ pg. 279

Eighteen years later, police discover that Gary Soneji kept a murder book, detailing his evil transformation from substitute teacher to serial killer. Included are clues that imply missteps Cross may have taken in his earlier rookie days of a homicide detective. The story moves to eighteen years ago, with Soneji live and in the flesh committing murders while Sampson and Cross are trying to solve the murders as they hurriedly come in.

The real treat are the alternating chapters featuring Alex's first wife, Maria, and their early home life. Reading about her secret spaghetti sauce, her pregnant with an active baby sure to be an athlete and their young love. I always wanted to read more about Maria and Patterson delivers it here! What a great addition to the series filled with suspense, mystery, action and heartfelt scenes. And the ending is like the series has just begun...

Happy Early Pub Day, James Patterson! Return of the Spider will be available tomorrow, November 17.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins. ~LiteraryMarie

Title: Return of the Spider
Author: James Patterson
Published: November 2025
Pages: 329
Edition: Galley
Genre: Mystery

Challenge: Keeping Up with Patterson
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤

Series Sunday: Nash Falls

(Walter Nash #1) 

Series Sunday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.

• Read an installment of a series.
• Share your review/recommendation below.
• Include the title, author and series name.

My Series Sunday pick is Nash Falls, the first book in the new Walter Nash series by David Baldacci. Walter Nash is an intelligent businessman with a model family. He has a wife, daughter and high-level position at Sybaritic Investments. He lives a normal routine life until it's turned upside down after his estranged father's funeral. 

Nash is unexpectedly approached by the FBI to be an inside man. They want to bring down a criminal enterprise that is laundering large sums of money through his employer, Sybaritic. Nash has no choice but to cooperate, becoming the exact opposite of who he's always been. A man not even he recognizes in the mirror.

"In life everything is subject to change, sir, is it not?" ~ 7%

I am used to Baldacci hooking me from the first couple chapters. He creates main characters that are uniquely different, full of inner conflict and slowly developed. So I expected the slow burn in Nash Falls. I wanted to take my time getting to know Walter Nash but soon realized I didn't care about him or the secondary characters like his cheating wife, big Black godfather figure and scamming entitled boss. I found myself rolling my eyes way too many times. 

I know Baldacci writes better than this. I know he is capable of developing a brand new series that is hard to put down. I know he doesn't usually stereotype characters or drone on and on with mundane details that have no bearing on the mystery or character development. I know he usually doesn't write something so ridiculously unbelievable that it's hard not to laugh out loud while reading. And when I wasn't rolling my eyes or laughing, I was dozing from the super slow pace.

"She fell asleep before her head hit the pillow." ~ 12%

So what did I just read?! Because Nash Falls is not the norm. What a disappointing first book of a new series! I will not be continuing the Walter Nash series but keeping an eye out for other standalone Baldacci books while catching up on his Amos Decker series instead. However, for those still interested, the second book is due in April 2026 so you have time to read Nash Falls and judge for yourself before Hope Rises releases.

Happy Early Pub Day, David Baldacci! Nash Falls will be available Tuesday, November 11.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins. ~LiteraryMarie

Title: Nash Falls
Author: David Baldacci
Published: November 2025
Pages: 416
Edition: Galley
Genre: Crime Thriller
Rating: 🖤 🖤

The Widow

"What do you wear to your arrest? It was one of those questions that one never thinks about, not even hardened criminals." ~ 50%

Simon Latch is a small-time lawyer billing just enough hours to pay his bills. Until he meets Eleanor Barnett, an elderly widow, requesting a new will. Her late husband left her a fortune that no one knows about. Once Simon hooks the richest client of his career, he goes above, beyond and between the lines of ethics to keep her wealth secret and assets in his hands. When she dies under suspicious circumstances, Simon finds himself on trial for murder with a motive that is hard to ignore.

I don't even know what to say in this review. Grisham is known for his legal fiction. The courtroom drama. The realistic cases and verdicts. The suspense. But this?! Ain't it. The Widow features a scumbag greedy main character with not one good redeeming quality. The plot was made into something bigger than it should've been. The writing didn't even seem like Grisham's signature style. The foray into whodunit land was a flop by my standards.

If you are a Grisham fan with FOMO, then read The Widow. I could be in the minority with my final thoughts so judge for yourself. 

Happy Pub Day, John Grisham! The Widow is now available.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins. ~LiteraryMarie

Title: The Widow
Author: John Grisham
Published: October 2025
Pages: 407
Edition: Galley
Genre: Legal Thriller
Rating: 🖤 🖤

Series Sunday: Calling All Blessings

(Blessings #12) 

Series Sunday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.

• Read an installment of a series.
• Share your review/recommendation below.
• Include the title, author and series name.

My Series Sunday pick is Calling All Blessings, the 12th book in the Blessings series by Beverly Jenkins. The matriarch of Henry Adams, Tamar July, has a recurring dream of her humiliating wedding day, sixty years ago. Why does she keep having this dream and what does it mean today? She is forced to confront the past. Meanwhile, another resident is having trouble too. Devon has been a trip since he showed up in Henry Adams as an 8-year-old preacher. Now he is a teenage James Brown wannabe, wig and all! Tamar takes Devon on a spirit quest to help them both find peace within themselves.

"Forgiveness is a choice, as is kindness." ~ 55%

Oh, the growth of Devon July! He was one of those characters I rolled my eyes at while reading his scenes. I surprisingly enjoyed that this 12th installment focused on his journey and found myself empathizing with him. What a redemption arc! It was a bonus that this book equally focused on Tamar, as she is an honorary Great Aunt in my head. And as usual, there is a lesson to be found within the pages of a Blessings novel. Calling All Blessings teaches forgiveness of others and yourself. Whew—this is literally a WORD!

Ms. Bev never misses. Blessings is one of my favorite series that I look forward to reading every year. It is heartwarming, wholesome and celebrates Black culture. Every single character has an individual story yet it is not confusing or hard to follow. But Calling All Blessings hit a little different. It has a finale vibe as if the series is ending. Every storyline is wrapped up in a neat bow and gives the satisfying feeling of being complete. Well done but selfishly, I am not ready to let this town or its people go!

I recommend Calling All Blessings to anyone looking to read a feel good family story. You will nod in agreement, chuckle at inside jokes, suck your teeth at certain insufferable characters then welcome them into a group hug in your head. Go ahead, brew some sweet tea and read this new release!

Happy Early Pub Day, Beverly Jenkins! Calling All Blessings will be available Tuesday, October 28.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins. ~LiteraryMarie

Title: Calling All Blessings

Author: Beverly Jenkins

Published: October 2025

Pages: 288

Edition: Galley

Genre: Family Fiction

Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤

Make My Funk the P-Funk

"SUPERGROOVALISTICPROSIFUNKSTICATION!" ~ 50%

If you sang the title of this post and continued with "I wants to get funked up," then this book review is for you. I grew up on P-Funk. Their concert was the most outrageous stage performance I have ever witnessed. I jam to George Clinton and 'nem to this very day. Their sound is so distinct that it is impossible to sit still when the bass hits my soul. Their discography spans 70+ years making Parliament-Funkadelic the longest-running music band in history. The year 1975, twenty years into George Clinton's musical journey with the group, became a pivotal year. 

"It's all designed to take us to the sky." ~ 13%

Make My Funk the P-Funk by Daniel Bedrosian, the longest-tenured keyboardist for Parliament-Funkadelic, details the rise from Chocolate City to Let's Take It to the Stage to Mothership Connection. It gives a historical view of things happening in the world during the release of these three (3) classic albums in an 8-month timeframe. With detailed overviews of each album, lyric breakdowns, analysis of the group's dynamic and interviews with living members, this book is a deep dive into P-Funk through their 1975 album releases.

This book is for the hardcore P-Funk fans. The music lovers with funk running through their veins. The women who wore diaper dresses. If you cleaned the whole house on Saturday morning to these songs then went to a house party that night. Music buffs looking for more in-depth information about P-Funk's trademark sound. Those who saw the group's style transition from suits to psychedelic outfits. Aspiring producers wanting a success guide. Those who lived through Watergate, the fall of Saigon, riots and know they STILL funky in the White House. *mic drop*

"It is no wonder most people had no idea that these two different-sounding bands on different record labels with totally different album art were actually one and the same." ~ 30%

Bedrosian took great care in writing MMFTPF including info that has been the subject of controversy or rumors over the past several decades, brief biographies of key members, origin of lyrics, stats and a thorough listing of samples and interpolations. He really pulled back the curtain and gave credit where it is due. The time and effort spent researching is obvious. I learned so much about the P-Funk era. It enhanced my reading experience by streaming the featured songs as I read along. Bookhearts, need I say more? Read it and be funkatized!

Happy Early Pub Day, Daniel Bedrosian! Make My Funk the P-Funk will be available on October 16.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins. ~LiteraryMarie

Title: Make My Funk the P-Funk
Author: Daniel Bedrosian
Published: October 2025
Pages: 187
Edition: Galley
Genre: Music Biographical
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤

Christmas Fling

"If you didn't have anyone, you couldn't lose anyone. It was that simple." ~ pg. 163

Finally a main character in a romance that is super likable! Laura is a successful neurosurgeon-in-training. She is funny, responsible and drinks tea with milk. Forced to go on holiday, she plans to sit home alone with a bottle of wine flat-sitting for a stranger. But a surprise visit when picking up the keys turns into agreeing to spend Christmas in snowy Scotland as a fake bitchy girlfriend.

The no-strings-attached Christmas with Callum becomes a Christmas fling of catching feelings. A cozy sleeper train, charming pubs, sexy men in kilts, castle views, natural chemistry and good banter fill their holiday. How long can they keep up the charade before real feelings get involved?

I haven't had the pleasure of reading a Lindsey Kelk book in ages! I was a fan of her "I Heart" series and looked to her stories when I wanted a light lovely story. Christmas Fling delivers all the cozy cute feels! It will make you chuckle, blush and root for romance. Even the side characters are entertaining and blend seamlessly into the story. Highly recommend for a holiday read!

Happy Pub Day, Lindsey Kelk! Christmas Fling is now available.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins. ~LiteraryMarie

Title: Christmas Fling
Author: Lindsey Kelk
Published: October 2024
Pages: 282
Edition: Galley
Genre: Holiday Romance
Rating: 🖤 🖤 🖤 🖤

Series Sunday: The Proving Ground

(Lincoln Lawyer #8) 

Series Sunday is a bookish meme hosted by Literary Marie. I encourage all of my fellow book bloggers and bookhearts to play along.

• Read an installment of a series.
• Share your review/recommendation below.
• Include the title, author and series name.

My Series Sunday pick is The Proving Ground, the eighth book in the Lincoln Lawyer series by Michael Connelly. In this new legal thriller, Mickey Haller files a civil lawsuit against an artificial intelligence company whose chatbot told a teenage boy it was okay for him to kill his ex-girlfriend. The case explores the unregulated and uncharted waters of AI.

"I mean, I don't know what that's about, but I'm beginning to wonder where I stand." ~ 33%

I barely started and finished this book. Let me explain. I was lost with the technology jargon within the first chapter. As I read further, I got more confused and closed the eBook a few more times. It wasn't until around 22% in that I was motivated to read further because something happened I'd been wishing for in the series. Then I gained more momentum halfway through when the trial began. Still it was a struggle until the end.

I appreciate Connelly keeping up with the times by incorporating artificial intelligence technology, losses from the California fires and ASMR. But it comes across as if there was a checklist of current-day topics that Connelly had to include. It all seems forced so The Proving Ground does not flow like a usual Lincoln Lawyer novel. 

"The point is, I had done some good work since I left the courtrooms and hallways of the Criminal Courts Building and crossed the street to civil." ~ 49%

Not to mention a change in the main character. And I do not mean organic character growth. The Mickey Haller I know would not even represent the victim's family. The Mickey Haller I know is an asshole and ever since his "resurrection walk," his change to defense is jarring. He is an attorney that once had a Lincoln as his business address. That is all I kept thinking while reading the court scenes and dialogue. I understand it but I miss the old Mickey personality and cases.

This book was not for me but I am looking forward to the return of the television series. That is where I will get my Lincoln Lawyer fix. However, Bookhearts, I encourage you to try reading The Proving Ground for yourself. Don't take my word for it because I am clearly in the minority. Most people are raving about how good this new release is. 

Happy Early Pub Day, Michael Connelly! The Proving Ground will be available Tuesday, October 21.

Disclaimer: An advance copy was received directly from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own and would be the same if I spent my hard-earned coins. ~LiteraryMarie

Title: The Proving Ground

Author: Michael Connelly

Published: October 2025

Pages: 400

Edition: Galley

Genre: Legal Thriller

Rating: 🖤 🖤