THE SCOOP......A TABLOID TAKEDOWN EXECUTED WITH KNIFE-EDGED WIT.....(****).

 The Scoop by Erin Van Der Meer (2026)

     Fasten your seatbelts for this one......a book that takes a reader on a cringe-filled safari through the most vicious Heart-of-Darkness contemporary jungle imaginable......the absolute abyss of a tabloid website. It's where the moral compasses of journalists spin faster than helicopter blades in the pursuit of click-bait dirt. It's where misery, tragedy and celebrity collide and we just can't help ourselves if we stop in to munch on a few tasty McNuggets of bad news for the Rich and Famous among us.

     29 year old magazine writer Frankie Miller, unemployed and desperate to continue living her dream of a journalism career, sells her soul to 'The Scoop' an on-line tabloid ruthlessly overseen by its Editor-in-Chief David Brown. Newly installed as the 'The Scoop's night editor, Frankie at first tries holding on to what's left of her scruples but....fat chance. David's brutal tirades give her a boot camp schooling in the world of the take-no-prisoners tabloid meat grinder. that needs constant feeding.

     When a long forgotten pop singer's spotted in less than flattering photos, David targets her for non-stop humiliation, contrived scandal and around the clock paparazzi stalking. And Frankie, now enraptured with the nationwide and worldwide attention her bylines earn for her, succumbs and embraces her notorious success, even at the cost of losing her closest friends. But what happens when the repercussions of her choices finally come back to shake her to her core?

     I can only say that you do NOT want to miss Frankie's response and ultimate ironic fate. .

     Author Erin Van Der Meer not only eviscerates the tabloid world but takes a knowing, unflinching look at the challenges faced by ambitious, talented working women in a Patriarchal marketplace.. And I was amazed at how absorbed I became with Frankie's calamities given that her shifting morality renders her unlikable and the book spends a little too much time with her repetitious internal anxieties.

     There's real live wire energy in the storytelling here and a sense of cruel wit runs through the entire book. Not a pretty picture of the way we digest news these days, but you won't want to stop reading till Frankie (and author Van Der Meer) have the last word.

     4 stars (****).

THE PATRIOT'S DAUGHTER.....A BEAUTIFUL SPY UNRAVELS A DIRE RUSSIAN PLOT.....(***)

The Patriot's Daughter by Brittany Butler (2026) 

     I expected to shower unconditional love on this book because it contains the mixture of everything I crave in a contemporary espionage thriller.......American and Russian spies facing off with the fate of U.S. and the entire civilized world hanging in the balance......suspenseful stealing of top secrets....double agents, triple agents, maybe even quadruple agents, none of whom trust each other for a single second (nor should they.)

     Chases.....daring escapes......startling twists......bullet-riddled action a plot that corresponds to today's current events......and to top it all off, a fast boiling romance between Ava, our fearless lead CIA spy and Ben, a tradecraft-savvy battle hardened counterintelligence agent.

     The stakes and the danger levels couldn't be higher here. And I was fully enthralled with Ava's combing her save-the-world-as-we-know-it mission with her clandestine agenda to discover the secrets surrounding the betrayal and death of her mother, also a CIA agent.

     While I had an exciting time reading everything I've detailed above, the book's incredibly poor editing (or complete lack thereof) threatened to sabotage the novel even worse than what its Russian villains were trying to do to U.S. democracy..

     I grew increasingly frustrated with the gaping plot holes, continuity gaps, jarring transitions from one scene to another, a last minute introduction of a formidable villain who then disappears altogether and twists with no rational explanation to back them up.

     The overall effect was similar to watching a two hour movie thriller that looked like a half hour of footage was randomly chopped out of it, rendering parts of it senseless.

     If all these grievous errors in story construction and plotting had been addressed, I would've easily given "The Patriot's Daughter" 2 more stars than its getting now. And yet I wouldn't mind seeing Ava take on more global adventures, but only if there's huge improvements made from this first one.

      3 stars (***).

HARMLESS WOMEN.......THE ODDEST COUPLE EVER TO END UP ON THE RUN TOGETHER.....(****).....

 Harmless Women by Rebecca Sharpe (2026)

     By the time I finished this book, I felt like taking the same deep breaths as the two women lead characters. What a long long, exhausting, treacherous, perilous odyssey these girls embark on.......with the book re-inventing itself into some new unexpected genres right along with its characters.

     I can't say all of it was swift or fast paced, but by the halfway mark, I became engrossed and utterly enthralled with Avalon and Prim's frantic adventures, especially their suspense crammed finale that dabbles with elements of tragic horror.

     The opening promises sort of a nasty, smooth criminal thriller. Avalon, master of disguises, cons and thievery has just left her latest victim Primrose drugged, physically made over and with her considerable bank account cleaned out. What Avalon didn't count on - Prim's husband already dead on the floor and Prim ending up on the run with Avalon, both fugitives from justice together.

     Sociopathic loner Avalon and sympathetic emotional Prim actively despise each other as they go on an endless hike through the English countryside, in hopes of reaching the coast....and boats. But disturbing, heart wrenching reversals-of-fortune along the way forever change the two women in ways both they (and we readers) could never imagine.

     Avalon and Prim's points-of=view are at times interrupted by the seemingly unrelated story of Bianca. She's a tragic, middle aged widow, her mind coming undone by haunted memories of an abusive husband and a beloved adult daughter who fled the house, not to be seen again. Even when these stories inevitably collide, I'd credit author Rebecca Sharpe with still managing to make it all fresh, startling.......and compulsively page turning.

     It took patience for me to stay with this book as it would slowly execute its plot lurches and character arcs from one trope to the next. But eventually it drew me fully into Prim and Avalon's tortuous trek, their small triumphs, their physical and emotional agonies and unnerving encounters with people who cross their path......where everyone's a potential threat.
    
     Since,, "Harmless Women" did finally capture me in full "I gotta know what happens next" fury, I'd decided to round up my 3.5 rating to a full 4 stars. A long but ultimately rewarding and entertaining read....perfect material for one of those 10 episode streaming series.

     4 stars (****).

THE ESCAPE GAME.....WHERE ELIMINATION TIME IS A REAL KILLER......(****)

 The Escape Game by Marissa Meyer and Tamara Moss (2026)

     Enormous fun to be had here for fans of murder mysteries, puzzle solving, code cracking and that surefire winner......smart endearing teens up against a slew of obnoxious, criminal adults.

     Not to mention my personal favorite as someone who grows nauseous at the thought spending even 10 seconds watching reality TV, the depiction of Reality TV show producers and assorted staff as loathsome, creepy and overall moronic individuals. Put that in a book and you had me at hello......

     "The Escape Game's previous season finished up with one of its teen contestants, Alicia Angelos, murdered and found in a coffin. You'd think that would be enough for cancellation, but in a pop culture universe where high ratings and click-bait rule, the show must go on. Not only go on, but include one of last season's contestants, the victim's sister Sierra. The laser-focused, goth-outfitted Sierra, temper always at a full boil, was accused but never charged with her sister's murder; And now she'll settle for no less that winning the game and hunting down the real killer.

     So the game's afoot, Sierra leads four teammates (handsome, bookish Adi, influencer Carter, game master Beck). They're up against similar hotly competitive teams in solving their way out of a series of Escape Room challenges, each room with its own theme and densely packed with clues and codes to break..

     While I realize that for a lot of readers, the puzzle and clue solving sequences will sound like heaven on earth, those parts of the book held the least amount of interest to me. What I did love and enjoy was the time and attention authors Marissa Meyer and Tamara Moss spent to bring all these characters to life and make me care for them, root for them and fear for them when they're courting danger. I was really taken with Carter Kelly ("Kick It Carter"), a shy introverted girl employing, like the Wizard of Oz, a manic pixie exaggerated animated avatar as her public persona.

     And given my low opinion of reality shows and those who produce and create them, the miserable collection of cynical, devious corrupt and altogether odious people in charge of the game here fulfilled all my worst expectation.......(with the exception of 'Fitzy' the show's bubbly, live wire young Australian M.C., who's not much older than the contestants.)

     Along with those incredibly challenging Escape rooms, Sierra and her Scooby gang must also plow through all the hidden secrets, twists and reveals that will lead them to unmask the murderer of Sierra's sister. And I can only tell you that their climactic showdown throwdown is everything you'd expect of it......thrilling, threatening, action-packed, surprising and even, at times, weirdly funny.

     Even if I'm no great fan of puzzles, this bunch I had a good time hanging out with, and wouldn't mind seeing them all re-assemble for further adventures.

     4 stars (****).

KILLING ME SOFTLY.....ONE BAD NIGHT AND THIS COUPLE'S GOT BIG TROUBLES.....(*****)....

 Killing Me Softly by Sandie Jones (2026)

     Oh, what a tangled web this married young couple (and dedicated unreliable narrators) lead.....

     Did I mention unreliable? If my house was flooded and floating down the street I still wouldn't believe these two if they told me it was raining..

     We see them first as perfectly beautiful, golden rising stars. Michael's a superb new Master Chef, working for and being mentored by an even more famous Chef-Restauranteur. Freya, a tireless humanitarian for worthy causes, manages non-profit charities.. Well on their way to fulfilling lives and careers, one horrible night sends them spiraling into chaos.......gripping them with guilt, anxiety, growing suspicion of each other and the dread of criminal prosecution. These two suddenly find themselves awash in a sea of troubles, with no life preservers in sight.

     For thriller fans, here's where the real nasty fun kicks off. Michael and Freya's alternating narratives lead them to deconstruct their marriage, both asking themselves the same question......"Who really IS this person I thought I fell head over heels for?" And throughout the length of the book, strewn with more upsetting baffling incidents and encounters, readers will want to ponder this confounding riddle right along with them.

     I'll freely admit, I didn't know what to make of Michael and Freya until the twists and reveals  start piling up in the final chapters like a chain reaction multiple vehicle highway accident. Though the plotting's overly cluttered and stretches believability, anyone who savors a malicious Sundae with a poison cherry on top, will want to dig right in to this one.

      4 stars (****).

THE SURVIVOR.....A SUBWAY PASSENGER AND HIS TORMENTOR......BOTH GONE OFF THE RAILS.....(****)....

 The Survivor by Andrew Reid (2026)

     Hold to those overhead straps or wrap your arms tight around those support poles.........get ready for the most hazardous-to-your-health New York subway ride since 'The Taking of Pelham One, Two Three'. Next stop......either 181st st or death, whichever comes first.

     You'd think the day couldn't get any worse for young Ben Cross, freshly fired on the first day of his brand new job and escorted out by security. But once on the NYC subway, he's in for the ride of his life......for as long as it lasts.. Which judging from the attitude of the anonymous messages that start popping up on his phone, Ben's life expectancy can be counted off in minutes. Somebody's got it in for him real, real bad....and they know who he really is.

     This threatening somebody not only knows Ben's darkest secrets, , they're given to forcing Ben to isolate certain passengers on the train who've been targeted to die horribly when they get off at their stops.....and then they immediately do. The die horribly part.

     The rather bizarre spectacular murders bring in Homeland Security, the FBI and recently disgraced and demoted New York Detective Kelly Hendricks. Being the first one on the scene, Detective Hendricks ends up boarding the train and tasked with unraveling the many mysteries of Ben Cross and his unknown tormentor. And she'd better figure it out fast, since the mastermind may have packed the train with explosives and has demanded the train go barreling toward the deepest station in the subway system.....but to what purpose?

     The clock's ticking, the train's racing and the bits and pieces of the Ben Cross puzzle begin to assemble into a backstory of gut wrenching tragedy and horror beyond belief, ...with more surprises yet ahead.

     If you can't tell from my description that 'The Survivor' is one terrific thrill ride (and a whammer of a beach read), the four star rating should sum it up nicely.. All aboard for this one.

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     4 stars (****)

MOST LIKELY TO MURDER......WHO'LL SURVIVE THE YEARBOOK KILLER BEFORE GRADUATION?

 Most Likely to Murder by Lish McBride (2026)

      As derivative and obvious as it is, I couldn't resist having myself a cheerful time with this one, a breezy one day read that flies by. Yes, it's that reliable surefire crowd pleaser......a disparate group of teens who band together to find the serial killer who's methodically polishing them off, one by one.

     This killer's something of a cruel joker with a twisted sense of humor.........altering a page in the high school yearbook to pre-assign a particular group of students their own special, horrible fates, with, the manner of each death printed underneath their photo.. But why them? And why did the killer start off the murder spree with offing one of their faculty counselors?

      Front and center in this group are high school outcasts Rick and Martina, both from financially struggling families and fierce BFFs forever. Their quick-witted byplay is a constant delight to read all throughout the book While the cool and witty Martina has her eye on a girl she's fallen for, she keeps encouraging the shy Rick to finally speak to pretty, studious Nika, the equally shy girl on whom he's been nursing a powerful crush. (And it's pretty obvious that for Nika, the feeling's mutual

      But our unfriendly neighborhood killer has begun to make good on those nasty yearbook predictions. The ever growing sweet and adorable Rick-Nika romance can only proceed slowly while the body count rises. And the teens team up to desperately figure out the who and the why of the murders before their numbers diminish any further.

      Loads of snarky sarcastic (but deeply affectionate) back-and-forth between Rick and Martina and as I've already pointed out, the slow burn crushes of Rick and Nika are enormous fun to watch come to fruition.. The pacing zips along but leaves little time to grieve for those unfortunates who don't make it to the end of the book. (In that regard, similar to slasher movies.)

      The only thing author Lish McBride doesn't quite land - the killer reveal. It feels like it came out of nowhere and the motives sound far fetched and contrived at the last minute. This is one book where you'll end up far more entertained by 90 per cent of the story rather than the last 10 percent spent on its conclusion.. But for me, it didn't stop 'Most Likely...' from being a lively, captivating read overall.

      4 stars (****).