Quite the fierce FrightFall indeed!

Happy November, folks, and I hope you all had a properly spooky Halloween! Mine was not too bad, except for the head cold that I caught (and still getting over).

One thing that definitely made my month better was the FrightFall readathon , held by Seasons of Reading’s Michelle Miller. This annual event is a fun way to indulge in the sinister vibes of the season without costumes and candy(not that you can’t have either one on hand….).

For this year, I went with the mystery/thriller genre for the most part and even with a last minute switch, managed to finish two books and still working on the third one; more about that latter title later.

The first book that I completed was Everyone in my Family has Killed Someone by Benjamin Stevenson. The novel introduces us to Ernest Cunningham, who is reluctantly attending a family reunion.

Part of the reason for his unease in going to this gathering is that it’s a celebration for his older brother Michael, recently released from prison. A main reason why Michael went to jail is because Ernest turned him in and testified against him in court.

Nonetheless, Ernest joins his estranged family at the remote ski lodge his aunt booked for the occasion and before Michael even gets there, a dead body is found nearby. When he does finally arrive, Michael is immediately under suspicion for this murder and Ernest is the only one he trusts to find the real killer.

It’s a very quirky story as Ernest narrates the overall story with regular fourth wall breaks to the reader(the character writes how-to books about writing, particularly mysteries) which makes the book challenging yet entertaining, sort of a Columbo vibe there.

If you can get into that groove, this is a great read with humorous moments regarding family dynamics and is apparently the first in a series. I certainly would be willing to tune in for the next book, that’s for sure:

After that, I took up Julia Bartz’s The Writing Retreat, which is quite the wild ride indeed!

We start with Alex, who has had writers block for over a year due in part to a brutal parting of the ways with her best friend Wren.

Sick of her situation, she leaps at the chance to be part of an exclusive writer’s retreat held by legendary author Roza  Vello, who insists that all attendees stay at her remote mansion known as Blackbriar. One big drawback is that Wren is also going to be there but Alex refuses to give up such a once in a lifetime opportunity like this.

Roza challenges the group to complete a full novel in one month with a mandatory daily word count; the book judged to be the best will get a million dollar publishing contract. It’s a bit much but Alex and the others are willing to give this a serious try.

However, things are not what they seem, especially when one of the women assembled goes missing in a deadly snowstorm…..

I don’t want to give anything else away but yes, this takes a few interesting twists and turns that kept me up late at night reading! This dazzling debut from Bartz has sharp wit and teeth when it comes to the complex nature of  friendship boundaries and competitiveness, that makes me eager to check her next novel(The Last Session, due out in 2025)as soon as may be:

At the moment, I am more than halfway through The Stone Witch of Florence, a debut novel from Anna Rasche. Yes, I was going to read The Lost Apothecary but blame it on Agatha All Along for casting a witch book spell on me!

Ginerva is the spellcaster of the title, wanting only to use her powers for healing with the use of gemstones for the benefit of others. However, her skills threatened the male medical hierarchy and she was banished from the city for her troubles.

Now, during a time of plague, she is summoned back but not to heal what’s left of the population. Instead, Ginerva is tasked to discover who is behind the strange rash of thefts at local churches, in which the bones of saints are stolen and small glowing vials are left in their place.

Her reward for this investigation is a full return to Florence and the chance to become an accredited healer; something that’s she has always dreamed of. So, with the help of some new friends and former colleagues, Ginerva is on the hunt for the thief while doing what she can to aid the those stricken with illness as well. Can she deliver two deadly birds with one magical gemstone?

This is such a riveting book and if it weren’t for the nasty cold that I caught last week (don’t worry, I’m getting better), I would be finished by now. Then again, it may be best to take my time with such a vivid tale of love, loss and renewed purpose like this. 

This does put me in mind of a major character from Agatha All Along, Lillia, a divination witch who struggles with her abilities yet regains her sense of self at the end. If you’re a fan of that show and that particular character, this is definitely the book for you:

So, thank you to Michelle Miller for yet another wonderful readathon! There is a Christmas themed readathon coming up next at Seasons of Reading but I am not sure if I will take that one up this time around; we’ll see.

In the meantime, please remember to vote this week (my family and I voted early for the first time in our lives!) and let’s all hope that things work out on that front for the collective good here. 

Also, while it’s understandable that people want to dive into the Christmas spirit right away, maybe we could slow down a little and savor the joys of Thanksgiving? With all of the free flowing anger and divisiveness going on lately, maybe we all need the chance to settle down and consider our blessings together.

Especially if this election walks us down a more positive road, the best way forward might be to share our bounty with loved ones and newcomers alike, adding the gravy goodness of generosity and compassion to the celebration feast: