Book Review: The Writer by James Patterson and J.D. Barker

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The Writer by James Patterson and J.D. Barker  was published on March 17, 2025. It opens with Detective Declan Shaw at a closed subway station trying to work up the nerve to commit suicide when he receives a call from his partner about a break in and homicide at the home of a true crime author. Shaw makes his way to the crime scene to work the case, and in a turn of events, Declan comes under scrutiny in another case loosely connected to this new case. I received an Advanced Readers Copy (ARC) of The Writer  from NetGalley and Little , Brown, and Company for free in exchange for my honest review. I'm appreciative that my request for this book was approved. With this story opening with the main character trying to commit suicide, I almost didn't go any further with the book. However, I am glad I stuck with it as it took me on a fantastic ride and had my emotions all over the place. There were so many twists and turns that just when I thought I had it all figured out, there was ...
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Book Review: Mischief Nights Are Murder (A Poppy McAllister Mystery, #8) by Libby Klein

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book review mischief nights are murder a poppy mcallister mystery libby klein

Mischief Nights Are Murder (A Poppy McAllister Mystery, #8) by Libby Klein was published on July 25, 2023.  The story opens with Poppy McAllister not being happy about being coerced into the Cape May Haunted Dinners Tour during the Halloween season.  Feeling a bit overwhelmed about breaking up an argument between some of her guests, Poppy is dismayed when one of them turns up dead.

Thank you to NetGalley and Kensington Books for the Advanced Readers Copy of Mischief Nights Are Murder (A Poppy McAllister Mystery, #8) by Libby Klein.  I love a great mystery, especially as it gets closer to Halloween, so when my request to read this book was approved, I was thrilled.

This was the first book I've read by Libby Klein, and it was a well written story that kept my attention.  Although, it's the eighth book in a series, it could be read as a stand alone.  The author did a relatively good job of giving the reader some backstory of each of the characters, so I didn't really feel like I missed out on anything.  With that being said, I personally like reading books in a series in order.  

Most of the characters were likable and relatable.  Of course, there were a handful that weren't likable, but I would deem one of the obnoxious characters as one that you love to hate . . . under all the gruffness and nastiness of the character, she ended up being not quite so unpleasant.  One of my absolute favorite characters was the cat named Fig.  He just absolutely stole the show for me.  There were an abundance of characters in Mischief Nights Are Murder, and at times, I found myself having trouble keeping up with who was who.  Because of this, it took just a little of the enjoyment out of the story.  

There were plenty of red herrings in the novel, and I kept changing my mind as to who committed the murder.  I never figured out who did it and was shocked at who it turned out to be.  Even though the culprit is revealed, there is a huge cliffhanger at the end of the story.  This doesn't bother me in the least since I enjoyed the book and plan on reading all the other books in the series.

Four out of five stars is what I give Mischief Nights Are Murder (A Poppy McAllister Mystery, #8) by Libby Klein.  This is the perfect book to put you in the mood for Halloween without it being scary or horrifying.  For those of you who don't like a lot of swearing, you'll be glad to know that there isn't any in it.


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