LITTLE ONE.....A SURVIVOR RECALLS HER FATHER'S BIZARRE, CRUEL CULT.......(*****)

 Little One by Olivia Muenter (2026)

     (My thanks to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company/Hachette Book Group for an advanced read of "Little One" in exchange for an honest review..)

     Can't say enough about how this book grabbed hold of me and kept me intrigued and enthralled right to the crushing revelations of its last few chapters. What can I say other than it's everything you want in an up-all-night page turner........characters and storyline that hook a reader from the beginning and radiate a constant feeling of 'I can't wait to stop what I'm doing right now so I can get back this book."

     At its core, 'Little One' concentrates on a toxic, dangerous cult and its charismatic, seemingly a wise fatherly founder and leader........who in reality is a monstrous individual who leaves shattered lives and death in his wake.

     Among those victims (and survivors) is Catherine West ,who's built a new life for herself as an adult, after a childhood and adolescence on a communal 'back-to-nature-live-off-the-land' farm established by her father in steamy central Florida.. Her memories of the farm run the gamut from dreamy Garden-of-Eden romps through ripened fields to the sometime capricious cruel and, dictatorial methods of her father,, whose teachings and ideals Catherine tried to faithfully follow. During that time, she'd forged a loving, sisterly bond with Linna. another child of one the farm members. And Linna's sharp intelligence always saw right through the false fatherly benevolence of Catherine's magnetic father, but neither she nor Catherine could imagine the full extent of his evil.

     In the here and how, Catherine's past and identity has been discovered by Reese, a journalist who's seeking to tell the full story of her past, her father and his farm. And that would mean uncovering whatever became of him and those who fell into his grasp......including Linna. whom Catherine has not laid eyes on since they were seventeen and whom she achingly pines for still.

     As 'Little One' shifts back and forth between Catherine's past and present, the book slowly but relentlessly pieces together the twisted tale of life on that Florida agrarian 'paradise and the parts that Catherine, Linna and others played in it. It's story filled with ever growing dread, heartbreak, tragedy and finally some horrific surprises. But author Olivia Muenter finds a way to finish with a particular endearing moment that's bound to leave you pondering and no doubt touch off endless book club discussions.

     I didn't know what to expect with this book which is why I'm happy to describe it as one of those 'can't put it down' reads that everybody searches for. With this one, mission accomplished.

      5 stars (*****).

WOLF HOUR......NORDIC NOIR TRAVELS TO MINNEAPOLIS....AND IT'S JUST AS CHILLING.....(****)

 Wolf Hour by Jo Nesbo (2026)

     (Let me first thank NetGalley and Borzoi Books/Alfred A. Knopf for an advance copy of "Wolf Hour" in exchange for an honest review.....)

     Jo Nesbo, one of the prime practitioners of Nordic Noir, heads over to our shores in Minneapolis and finds just as much murder, human strife, dark secrets, broken souls and a staggering twist to top it all off.

     In 2016, detective Bob Oz is on the trail of serial sniper whose movements, methods and choices of victims remain a confounding puzzle. Bob in the great tradition of urban detectives everywhere, suffers from a broken marriage, alc0holism, severe fits of rage and haunting memories of an almost indescribable past tragedy. But still he doggedly hunts down the suspected sniper known to be the brutal elusive Tomas Gomez, whose bloodthirsty mania as the Cartel enforcer/assassin called Lobo was legendary.

     Bob's path to Lobo isn't made any easier by his crumbling personal life and his ability to aggravate his fellow detectives and superiors. Yet he still manages to strike up some back-and-forth byplay with a woman bartender and forges an odd sort of friendship with a lonely taxidermist who actually encountered the suspect as a potential customer.

     Author' Nesbo's pacing and plotting become somewhat choppy here, as the story throws in a 2022 timeline involving a visiting Norwegian crime writer seeking to assemble the pieces of the Lobo murders together.........for his own reasons. But rest assured, everything does come together with a triple whammer of a twist, a thrilling finish and a satisfying, emotionally touching wrap-up. . This book takes the time to plunge a reader into a deep dive through the heartache and pain of its characters.

     I'd highly recommend 'Wolf Hour' even to those who don't normally include police procedurals in their favored choices. This one's special and kept me in its grip to the last page.

     4 stars (****).

IMPOSTER.....A VICIOUS KILLER IN A LITTLE IRISH TOWN.....(****)

 Imposter by L.J. Ross (2026)

     (I extend my thanks to NetGalley and Poisoned Pen Press/Sourcebooks for the ARC of "Imposter" in exchange for an honest review.)

     Though I've admitted I'm not a constant reader of procedural whodunits, this one grabbed my attention right away. Mainly because, I'm always all in for psychological profiling mysteries and 'Imposter' introduces a worthy new sleuth in Dr.. Alexander Gregory.. He's a forensic psychologist who also volunteers his skills as a profiler when called upon. And the new case he's involved himself with is a doozy.......a heinous, bizarre murder that's rocked and shocked the community of a little village nestled on the Irish countryside.

     Dr. Gregory arrives in the town of Ballyfinny greeted by Mayor Maggie Byrne, who's also the mother of the area's law enforcement officers of the Garda, her sons Niall and Connor. And Maggie's boys, especially Niall seem wary of Gregory when he theorizes the perverse killer is no outsider, but most likely someone who lives in the town, possibly a friend and neighbor known to everyone.........and adept at hiding their psychotic, homicidal impulses.

     As Gregory works his way through the case, he finds a sparse amount of clues but a host of local suspects who have no concrete alibi for the timeframe of the murder......and that includes Niall and Connor. Byrne. What's even worse, the killer whom everybody says hello to ever day may already be targeting their next victim.

     I loved the tight knit little population of Ballyfinny and the mounting sense of unease sometimes accomplished by a brief creepy chapter from the unidentified killer's point of view. I tried to make my own best guess out of those those prime suspects, but then author L.J. Ross served up a proper stunner of a final reveal.

     A terrific start for a new mystery series and at times even leavened with some welcome moments of gentle, understated humor.. Here's one reader who may not consume a whole lot procedurals but will definitely be on the lookout for Dr. Gregory's next case.

     4 stars(****).

CROSS AND SAMPSON.....PATTERSON'S DYNAMIC DUO BACK IN THE THICK OF IT......(*****)

Cross and Sampson by James Patterson and Brian Sitts (due on Feb. 9th, 2026) 

           Sandy Quill extends great thanks to NetGalley and Little Brown and Company/Hachette Book group for the opportunity of giving me an advanced read of this one.....

 
     Welcome back, dear old friends of the Alex Cross world. I can always depend on Alex and and his lifelong friend detective John Sampson to deliver another breathless thrill ride, another book that draws me into it so fully, that it takes me less than a day to finish. And in the midst of all the suspense, twists and dangerous threats, there'll be plenty of warm hearted emotional moments with the beloved Cross matriarch Nana Mama. looking over Alex and the entire family with plenty of food, love and common sense.

     This new book sends Alex and John on separate perilous investigations. For Alex it couldn't be any more deeply personal - the hunt for his college student son Damon, who has disappeared from the campus. At the same time, John has joined a Federal task force to track down a serial terrorist bomber who's left innocent victims dead and severely injured with explosives set off all around the D.C. area.

     And once again author James Patterson and co-author Brian Sitts keep a reader glued to their book with those famously swift, brief chapters that leave you with that, "Oh, I can't stop now, I've got to do the next chapter..." feeling. As usual, that feeling remains until you realize you've finished the book faster than anything else you've read this year.

     What's more to say? Other than that this one should go on every thriller reader's Not-To-Be Missed list for this year......though I doubt I even need to say that to anyone else who's already into the Cross books. (Anyone who isn't yet.....take heed.)

     5 stars (*****)