Book Review • Lacey In The Library

Book Review: Gone Before Goodbye by Reese Witherspoon & Harlan Coben

by Lacey Christiansen | Nov 30, 2025 | Book Review

Gone Before Goodbye

Every once in a while, a book hits the shelves with so much buzz that you can’t help but wonder: Is it the hype… or the names on the cover? With Reese Witherspoon teaming up with Harlan Coben, Gone Before Goodbye definitely had me curious. I’d seen the chatter on Instagram, spotted it during an innocent stroll through Costco (dangerous), and suddenly found myself tossing it into my cart. Reader, I’m glad I did. This thriller wastes no time pulling you into its high-stakes world, and while the premise is wild, the emotional undercurrent is what kept me turning pages.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on them and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Hype Report

Goodreads is giving this one a 3.78 right now. I am inclined to think this is pretty close (I rounded up to 4 stars on my rating).

Appropriately-hyped.

Aesthetic

The Cover

The cover of Gone Before Goodbye clearly evokes the thriller genre. It is a monotone blue with a mysterious face and unexplained slashes. More importantly, however, is that the title and the author names are nearly equal in visual importance. This exemplifies the publisher banking on the big-name star and well-established author pairing to sell copies of this book. It’s working.

Interior

No fripperies here. Gone Before Goodbye has comfortable margins for annotating. Clean and clear delineation between chapters and sections. The font choices, spacing, and sizing are easy to read.

Did the design affect whether I bought the book?

I think I fell into the curiosity buy category. I had heard about Gone Before Goodbye on Instagram and seen a couple of positive reviews. So when I happened across it in Costco, I decided to treat myself. I barely glanced at the cover long enough to see “Reese…”

Summary

In Short

In Gone Before Goodbye, a recently unlicensed doctor takes an off-the-books job that turns dangerous.

From the Publisher

From the Publisher:

AN INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

An unforgettable suspense novel that combines the storytelling talents of Academy Award-winning actor Reese Witherspoon and internationally bestselling author Harlan Coben. Gone Before Goodbye is the story of a woman trapped in a deadly conspiracy—where uncovering the truth could cost her everything.

Maggie McCabe is teetering on the brink. A highly skilled and renowned Army combat surgeon, she has always lived life at the edge, where she could make the most impact. And it was all going to plan … until it wasn’t.

Upside down after a devastating series of tragedies leads to her medical license being revoked, Maggie has lost her purpose, but not her nerve or her passion. At her lowest point, she is thrown a lifeline by a former colleague, an elite plastic surgeon whose anonymous clientele demand the best care money can buy, as well as absolute discretion.

Halfway across the globe, sequestered in the lap of luxury and cutting-edge technology, one of the world’s most mysterious men requires unconventional medical assistance. Desperate, and one of the few surgeons in the world skilled enough to take this job, Maggie enters his realm of unspeakable opulence and fulfills her end of the agreement. But when the patient suddenly disappears while still under her care, Maggie must become a fugitive herself—or she will be the next one who is … Gone Before Goodbye

Character Analysis

Maggie, the main character, has been through it. She’s flawed, but aware of her own shortcomings. She is capable and strong, but grieving and vulnerable. While I wouldn’t call her relatable (I’m no war-zone surgeon), she is likeable and easy to empathize with. Layers are revealed throughout the story, and the character does develop believably.

Porkchop is lovable, if a bit mysterious. He clearly has layers that are unexplored, but hinted at. The side characters in Gone Before Goodbye make you want to see more from this author duo just to dig into these other characters’ complexity.

Writing Style

Gone Before Goodbye is much more plot-driven than character-driven. Overall, this is a pretty fast-paced read, but there are poignant moments of stillness and reflection that help keep the reader connected to the emotional stakes as well as the life and death ones.

Themes

Themes of grief underpin and to a degree, drive the story forward. The adage “the road to ruin is paved with good intentions” sums up the most overt theme in the book. Who can you trust? When everyone’s telling you a different story and telling you that you can’t trust anyone else, how do you decide who to put your faith in?

Critical Evaluation

Gone Before Goodbye has all the necessary elements to make a good thriller. It hooks you early and keeps you engaged throughout the entire story. There is a reveal at the end. Witherspoon and Coben go beyond the necessary and inject vulnerability and heart into the story.

Personal Opinion

I’m a fan of Reese Witherspoon and Harlan Coben separately, but was not sure what a mashup of their talents would be like. I’m glad I took the chance on it because this book is great! I was in from the first chapter.

Recommendation

Thriller readers, give it a go and tell me what you think! Other genre lovers, this could be a good opportunity to dip your toe into the genre.

Were you surprised to see Reese Witherspoon as a thriller author?

Books covered in white with handwritten titles and authors on their spines

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May your life be as full as your bookshelf and as long as your TBR list.

Happy Reading!

Book Review: Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaughy

by Lacey Christiansen | Nov 23, 2025 | Book Review

Wild Dark Shore – Atmospheric & Intriguing

Every so often, a book comes along that feels both devastating and beautiful in equal measure. For me, Wild Dark Shore by Charlotte McConaghy was exactly that. With its undercurrents of climate change, tangled family dynamics, and a stranger who arrives with secrets of her own, this novel is as immersive as the wild sea that surrounds its setting. The writing is lush and layered, the themes are deeply resonant, and the story lingers long after the last page.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on them and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Hype Report

Goodreads readers have this at a 4.16, I think that is a touch low so I’m going to say slightly under-hyped!

Aesthetic

The Cover

Moody and dark, the cover art of Wild Dark Shore evokes a painting by an old European master painter. The palette hints at mystery and intrigue, and the sea. The typography is well-balanced, drawing equal attention to the title and the author’s name. It’s got a hand-drawn, watercolor quality that allows this bold sans serif typeface to communicate without seeming too harsh for a natural setting. The color of the text is unexpected, which draws the eye, but also well-chosen from highlight tones in the waves to contrast with the dark blue of the sky. Orange is also a nautical warning or safety equipment color, which points directly to the theme. Overall, Wild Dark Shore has an artfully and thoughtfully designed cover.

Interior

The typesetting is so well done it practically disappears and allows the reader to just be immersed. Chapter titles are the name of the person whose point of view the chapter is in. Gentle breaks from one point in time to another are announced with a small wave-like graphic. Page numbers are at the top in this book, if that is something you pay attention to, next to the header text, and not at a corner. I wonder if this is a stylistic choice for this book or a publisher standard?

Did the design affect whether I bought the book?

My copy of Wild Dark Shore was a gift, and I hadn’t seen it in the wild before receiving it, so I can’t truly say on this one. I do think it’s lovely, but would it have caught my eye? I hope so.

Summary

In Short

Secrets and harsh environmental factors plague this immersive drama, when a mysterious woman washes ashore on a remote island and is recovered by a family of four, the island’s only inhabitants.

From the Publisher

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • #1 AMAZON BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR SO FAR 2025

An ENTHRALLING new novel from the NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLING author of Migrations and Once There Were Wolves “A WILDLY TALENTED writer.” ―Emily St. John Mandel

“SPELLBINDING…Exceptionally imagined, thoroughly humane.” — Washington Post

“Abounds with EVOCATIVE nature writing.” — The New York Times Book Review

A family on a remote island. A mysterious woman washed ashore. A rising storm on the horizon.

Dominic Salt and his three children are caretakers of Shearwater, a tiny island not far from Antarctica. Home to the world’s largest seed bank, Shearwater was once full of researchers, but with sea levels rising, the Salts are now its final inhabitants. Until, during the worst storm the island has ever seen, a woman mysteriously washes ashore.

Isolation has taken its toll on the Salts, but as they nurse the woman, Rowan, back to strength, it begins to feel like she might just be what they need. Rowan, long accustomed to protecting herself, starts imagining a future where she could belong to someone again.

But Rowan isn’t telling the whole truth about why she set out for Shearwater. And when she discovers sabotaged radios and a freshly dug grave, she realizes Dominic is keeping his own secrets. As the storms on Shearwater gather force, they all must decide if they can trust each other enough to protect the precious seeds in their care before it’s too late—and if they can finally put the tragedies of the past behind them to create something new, together.

A novel of breathtaking twists, dizzying beauty, and ferocious love, *Wild Dark Shore* is about the impossible choices we make to protect the people we love, even as the world around us disappears.

Character Analysis

The characters in Wild Dark Shore are complex. Each person is flawed and, in some way, struggling with their own personal traumas. Their interactions are believable based on the nature of each individual and their story. No one person is singled out as the main character, so the story is really a tapestry of different points of view.

Writing Style

The writing style in Wild Dark Shore is simply gorgeous. It is descriptive without being boring. Peppered with metaphors, allusions, and foreshadowing, the story flows seamlessly and pulls you in like an insistent current.

Themes

Make no mistake, Wild Dark Shore is an environmentalist story about the effects of climate change. But it is also a human story about the stories we tell ourselves, about family, about responsibility, and about love. The concept of trust is widely explored through human relationships, and, interestingly, also between humans and animals. The concept of ghosts, more haunted by knowledge than anything truly paranormal, is artfully woven through the narrative.

Critical Evaluation

Wild Dark Shore has so much depth, so much layered meaning, that I think this could be a book that a person could reread and find something new each time. The writing was compelling and the story inviting. McConaghy takes the reader on an emotional journey, with equal parts plot and character-driven narrative. It is medium-paced, but the stakes are high.

Personal Opinion

I thoroughly enjoyed Wild Dark Shore. This is a beautiful book. Devastating and lovely. I fell in love with the people and the place. It made me long for a sense of place that I loved so deeply, but also made me see that one builds that love through care and attention.

Recommendation

This is a “Hell Yes” read for me.

She knows what she will do now. […] she won’t think about him ever again, not for a single second of the rest of her life, and that will be her revenge.

Have you already read Wild Dark Shore? Talk to me about what you made of the “ghosts.”

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May your life be as full as your bookshelf and as long as your TBR list.

Happy Reading!

Book Review: The Road by Cormac McCarthy

by Lacey Christiansen | Nov 16, 2025 | Book Review

The Road as an Experience, Not Just a Book

Cormac McCarthy’s The Road isn’t a book you simply read—it’s one you endure. From the stripped-down prose to the suffocating bleakness of its world, this Pulitzer Prize–winning novel forces readers into the same relentless survival mode as its unnamed father and son. It’s stark, uncomfortable, and often frustrating, but it’s also unforgettable. Whether you finish it feeling shaken or strangely uplifted depends on how much of yourself you’re willing to bring to its pages. In this review, I’ll cover the design, style, and themes of The Road—and whether the hype surrounding this modern classic is deserved.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on them and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Hype Report

This book was not fun, but it did, in fact, live up to the hype. Appropriately-hyped.

Aesthetic

The Cover

Simple, no-nonsense cover. Black with white title and brown author name and “bestseller” badge. The cover for The Road is appropriate because it speaks to the lack of color in the world within, the stark reality that McCarthy paints for the readers.

Interior

The interior of The Road is also very simple. There are no chapters, and the train of thought is interrupted only by space. This is a challenging way to read, but it also helps to build engagement with the reader. It also gives no noticeable breaks, which also lines up with the idea that the book layout can, in fact, contribute to the experience of the story. The characters had no breaks, no ease.

Did the design affect whether I bought the book?

The book was purchased for a book club, so it was not affected by the cover.

Summary

In Short

In a devastated post-apocalyptic America, a father and son journey toward the coast, surviving harsh elements and violent gangs while sustained by their deep love.

From the Publisher

WINNER OF THE PULITZER PRIZE • NATIONAL BESTSELLER • A searing, post-apocalyptic novel about a father and son’s fight to survive that “only adds to McCarthy’s stature as a living master. It’s gripping, frightening and, ultimately, beautiful” (San Francisco Chronicle).

One of The New York Times’s 100 Best Books of the 21st Century • A Kirkus Reviews Best Fiction Book of the Century

A father and his son walk alone through burned America. Nothing moves in the ravaged landscape save the ash on the wind. It is cold enough to crack stones, and when the snow falls it is gray. The sky is dark. Their destination is the coast, although they don’t know what, if anything, awaits them there. They have nothing; just a pistol to defend themselves against the lawless bands that stalk the road, the clothes they are wearing, a cart of scavenged food—and each other.

The Road is the profoundly moving story of a journey. It boldly imagines a future in which no hope remains, but in which the father and his son, “each the other’s world entire,” are sustained by love. Awesome in the totality of its vision, it is an unflinching meditation on the worst and the best that we are capable of: ultimate destructiveness, desperate tenacity, and the tenderness that keeps two people alive in the face of total devastation.

Character Analysis

The characters in The Road are not named. They are the man and the boy. There are other incidental characters that the pair meet along the way. However, none are long for the story. By refusing to name the characters, McCarthy strips them of their individuality and forces the reader to lay their own identity on top of the character experience. Even the ages of the characters are unclear. My book club members each guessed the age of the boy and no two assumed that he was the same age. There is a lot of room for interpretation. While many feel this makes the characters more personal to the reader, others feel that it makes them harder to understand and connect with.

If you break little promises, you’ll break big ones.

Writing Style

As I mentioned previously, McCarthy does not accommodate the reader at all. No breaks. The Road is also rife with five-dollar words. This, in my view, interrupts the flow of reading. I have a large vocabulary, but this was just too much. The writing hounds the reader with as many ways as you can think to say bleak, grey, dark, cold, and barren. It is all meant to convey atmosphere, and since there is little plot other than surviving the atmosphere and other people, I’m sure this is the entire point. The writing style is as much a part of the story as the story itself. It is well done and purposeful.

Themes

Themes in The Road include survival, love, trust, morality, hope, and faith. These themes are unavoidable. There is no way you are getting lost in some flight of fancy. Nothing is fancy. It’s raw and in your face.

Critical Evaluation

The Road is an intellectual exercise to be sure. From the writing to the careful editing of the plot to only include what is going to make the reader face their own humanity, the book is a force to be reckoned with. Reading The Road was a challenge, but one worth pursuing.

Personal Opinion

Honestly, this is not a book I would have chosen for myself and it is unlikely that I would ever want to read it again. However, I am glad that I read it and got to have the conversations with my book club that The Road brought about. So, while I want to say “nah” the real answer is “yeah, probably should.”

Recommendation

I think you have to be in the right frame of mind to read The Road. It will challenge you. This is not a light-hearted read. Do not confuse it with your standard dystopian, post-apocalyptic fare. Proceed with caution.

Have you read The Road? What did you think?

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May your life be as full as your bookshelf and as long as your TBR list.

Happy Reading!

Book Review: Finlay Donovan Is Killing It By Elle Cosimano

by Lacey Christiansen | Nov 9, 2025 | Book Review

"Accidental Assassin" Feels Like a Totally Relatable Job Title

If you’ve ever wondered what would happen if your PTA-mom life collided with a crime caper, Finlay Donovan Is Killing It has the answer. Spoiler: it involves murder puns, a babysitter turned partner-in-chaos, and a plot twist that feels like it tripped over a juice box and landed in the middle of a mob hit. It’s not your typical cozy mystery—but honestly, that’s what makes it work.

Hype Report

Goodreads readers rank this at # stars. As I had never heard of it prior to our book club choosing it, I would say Under-Hyped. Turn that shit up, this book is GOOD. Under-hyped.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on them and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Aesthetic

The Cover

The illustration is cute, but doesn’t tell you a lot about what to expect. I think it is interesting that they chose this illustration because there is some disparity between the look of the main character as described and what is shown here. It is a good representation merging some of the public and private personas that become evident throughout the story. Furthermore, the fact that half of the face is cast in shadow hints at the duality of the character and the covert nature of the story’s premise. I feel like the cover designer probably actually read the book (yay!) The color choices are appropriate and tell us right off the bat that this is targeted towards women. The multiple competing fonts would normally be a no-go for me, but the chaos that it hints at is so integral to Finlay Donovan Is Killing It that it is an apt choice. The back cover gives more context with the description. I love the witty tagline “it’s murder being a hit-mom.” If you like this kind of tongue-in-cheek, pun-heavy wordplay, you will be happy to know that it is sprinkled throughout the story too.

Interior

The interior of Finlay Donovan Is Killing It is neatly laid out. Nothing too fancy, just good clean copy with appropriate chapter headings and numbering. Where there were notes passed between the characters, these are indicated clearly in a different type and styling without distracting from the flow of reading. There is some interesting use of italics in places. While not all internal monologue is italicized, there is a section where this happens. It’s clear that it’s to distinguish, though, from spoken dialogue, but sometimes they are also used for news headlines and articles being heard or read, text messages, and for general emphasis. This could be distracting when they are used very closely together. Fortunately, it’s not too heavily used.

Did the design affect whether I bought the book?

No. I bought Finlay Donovan Is Killing It for a book club, so it wasn’t a factor in my decision. However, this is the kind of thing that catches my eye, and I would certainly have picked it up.

Summary

In Short

Recently divorced mother of two, author Finley Donovan gets mistaken for an assassin, and a comedy of errors and murder puns ensues.

From the Publisher

Finlay Donovan is killing it . . . except, she’s really not. She’s a stressed-out single-mom of two and struggling novelist, Finlay’s life is in chaos: the new book she promised her literary agent isn’t written, her ex-husband fired the nanny without telling her, and this morning she had to send her four-year-old to school with hair duct-taped to her head after an incident with scissors.

When Finlay is overheard discussing the plot of her new suspense novel with her agent over lunch, she’s mistaken for a contract killer, and inadvertently accepts an offer to dispose of a problem husband in order to make ends meet . . . Soon, Finlay discovers that crime in real life is a lot more difficult than its fictional counterpart, as she becomes tangled in a real-life murder investigation.

Fast-paced, deliciously witty, and wholeheartedly authentic in depicting the frustrations and triumphs of motherhood in all its messiness, hilarity, and heartfelt moment, Finlay Donovan Is Killing It is the first in a brilliant new series from YA Edgar Award nominee Elle Cosimano.

Character Analysis

You see realistic character development in the heroine and the main side character. It’s subtle, you see them grow into themselves and the roles that they are carving out in a way that feels genuine. Some of the characterizations are cliché, but they are so charmingly delivered that you almost don’t notice. It’s especially apt that the heroine is an author, and you get a double dose of her voice through the main character’s pov and the writing that she does throughout the story. One thing that I thought was refreshing was that even when characters were VERY bad, the main character continually tries to see the whole story and treat people with compassion. This makes all of the characters more three-dimensional, where lesser writing might paint them as cliches.

Writing Style

Writing style is casual, fun, witty, and sprinkled with murderous puns. Cosimano’s writing style is very easy to read, the characters have distinct voices, and the pacing is up-tempo. There was a smattering of five-dollar words, but it was appropriate based on the character and situation. I thoroughly enjoyed the descriptive aspects of the writing…instead of “leopard print outfit”, we read “her clothes might have been skinned from a large jungle cat.” This makes the main character all the more believable as an author.

His patience sounded as thin as the hair on the crown of his head.

Themes

Themes of finding yourself, found family, and female friendship run right alongside the more obvious mistaken identity plot device in Finlay Donovan Is Killing It. Romantic storylines take a back seat to the more prominent personal development of the main character and her babysitter-come-bestie.

She heaved a sigh that could blow the doors of a meth lab.

Critical Evaluation

While you think you know what’s up based on the premise described on the cover, Finlay Donovan Is Killing It takes you on a bit of a twisty who-dun-it road trip. I’ll admit I had some inclings along the way and ultimately guessed some of the ending from cleverly dropped foreshadowing, but I was not at all deterred from following this story to the very end. There was one plot hole, which I will not point out, because if you don’t see it, you’ll enjoy the book more when you read it. If you do, feel free to point it out in the comments (so be warned…there are probably going to be spoilers in the comments).

Because I’ve been shot and cut and had the snot beat out of me, and I’d take any of those over a corneal abrasion any day.

Personal Opinion

Though far-fetched in terms of the choices a real person might make (I confirmed it with my book club), Finlay Donovan Is Killing It is a delightful romp that makes you forget that. The first book in a series, I am already itching to see what Cosimano does with the next installment. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The descriptions of motherhood make me feel seen!

Recommendation

This is a “YES, Read it!” for me. If you like comedic mysteries with heart, this is probably your jam.

Buy This Book

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Notes

Not your typical “cozy mystery.” I often feel like feel-good mysteries try too hard. This one hits different, almost like a buddy-comedy with a murder-mystery twist. I’d say the same kind of vibes as the Adam Sandler/Jennifer Aniston movie “Murder Mystery,” but not related in any way beyond the feels.

Some romance, but no spice. Some potentially triggering topics include stalking and SA.

If you’ve read this, tell me in the comments if you LOLed!

If you haven’t read it, why not?

May your life be as full as your bookshelf and as long as your TBR list.

Happy Reading!

Book Review: The Antique Hunter’s Guide To Murder

by Lacey Christiansen | Nov 2, 2025 | Book Review

The Cover Made Me Do It!

I’ll admit it—I judged this book by its cover. And honestly? That’s what landed it in my cart. With its vintage mystery palette and moody serif fonts, The Antique Hunter’s Guide to Murder whispered sweet nothings about secrets and suspense. Turns out, the inside was about as measured as its 3.36 Goodreads rating: solid, if not swoon-worthy. Let’s unpack why this one is appropriately hyped.

Hype Report

Goodreads readers give this a 3.36 and I agree – Appropriately-Hyped.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on them and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Aesthetic

The Cover

I was immediately drawn to The Antique Hunters Guide to Murder‘s cover. It resonates classic mystery with ornate swashes and bold serif typeface. The red, cream, and black palette clearly signals the genre while the delicate illustration underscores the antique collectibles theme hinted at in the title. One flaw, at least in my particular copy, was that the cover seems to be misaligned. The edge is cut off at the left, and the spine elements turn up over the front edge. I didn’t notice the irritating edge until I returned home from the bookstore, and wished that I had been more observant at the time of purchase, so I could have checked other volumes to see if there was a better binding.

Interior

The typesetting of the interior of book is, thankfully, unaffected by the external issues. The body of the story was easy to read with adequate margins. I enjoyed that there were “quotes” from the deceased at the beginning of each chapter that give subtle hints as to his relationship to each character. These were set apart typographically by a slightly larger, bolder font, but nothing too fanciful. Everything about the interior is meant to keep the reader in the story and not cause distraction. My only complaint is the kerning between some of the chapter numbers seems a bit too loose.

Did the design affect whether I bought the book?

Yes, I found The Antique Hunter’s Guide to Murder attractive based on the cover design. Finding it on a table with like titles the cover design of this book certainly set it apart from the other options.

Summary

In Short

At a crossroads in life, Freya finds the lure of antique hunting and a mysterious death of her former mentor too much to resist as she throws in with her quirky Aunt to uncover the truth about the past, and unlock her future.

From the Publisher

In this “irresistible, immersive, and completely unputdownable” (Ellery Lloyd, New York Times bestselling author) debut novel, a former antique hunter investigates a suspicious death at an isolated English manor, embroiling her in the high-stakes world of tracking stolen artifacts.

What antique would you kill for?

Freya Lockwood is shocked when she learns that Arthur Crockleford, antiques dealer and her estranged mentor, has died under mysterious circumstances. She has spent the last twenty years avoiding her quaint English hometown, but when she receives a letter from Arthur asking her to investigate—sent just days before his death—Freya has no choice but to return to a life she had sworn to leave behind.

Joining forces with her eccentric Aunt Carole, Freya follows clues to an old manor house for an advertised antiques enthusiast’s weekend. But not all is as it seems. It’s clear to Freya that the antiques are all just poor reproductions, and her fellow guests are secretive and menacing. What is going on at this estate and how was Arthur involved? More importantly, can Freya and Carole discover the truth before the killer strikes again?

Character Analysis

Most of the characters in The Antique Hunters Guide to Murder are two dimensional. There is just enough detail to make the point that needs to be made to advance the plot. The main character, Freya, verges on three dimensional, but falls short of connecting emotionally- despite having a pretty emotionally traumatic back story. I wanted to love her, but felt indifferent throughout most of the book. The looney aunt was reliable comic relief and I could easily visualize her, but didn’t really get the emotional undertones I wanted to make the relationships believable.

We can preserve the past while still striving toward our future.

Writing Style

The plot was well-plotted. There were just enough hints and foreshadowing to keep things interesting. The pacing was steady. I felt like there should have been moments that built in intensity to crescendo at the point where the main character has her “aha!” moment and again when the killer is revealed. This didn’t really happen in The Antique Hunters Guide to Murder, which felt a bit disappointing despite the twists and reveals of the plot itself.

Themes

Self-(re)discovery was a major theme. While the heroine was unwinding a mystery she was unlocking the truest parts of herself. There was also a distinct aim to show that you can’t always know what another person is going through or their reasons for doing what they do. Forgiveness. Coming back to your roots.

Sooner or later we all leave this earth. What matters is the story we’ve left behind.

Critical Evaluation

The Antique Hunters Guide to Murder hits all the genre points and is classically well written. Not thrilling nor emotional, but scratches the whodunit itch.

Some time is spent describing antiques, so if you are an aficionado, you’ll get a little something extra out of this book.

Personal Opinion

The Antique Hunters Guide to Murder was good, not great. I didn’t get overly invested in it and was easily able to put it down at any given point, but I did find myself wanting to pick it back up because I wanted to know the secrets it held in store.

Always check your exit route.

Recommendation

If you want a good, well-written murder mystery that is light without being fluffy, The Antique Hunters Guide to Murder is for you. If you are into cozy mysteries with more rom-com aspects, you won’t find that here. Those with a nose for more thrilling or gritty fare – probably a pass for you.

Book cover of The Antique Hunter's Guide to Murder by C.L. Miller

Buy This Book

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Notes

This book made me think of the Knives Out movie series and the Hercule Poirot series. I could easily visualize this being made into a movie.

This is the first in a series. The next book is The Antique Hunter’s Death on the Red Sea.

May your life be as full as your bookshelf and as long as your TBR list.

Happy Reading!

Series Review: Three Dark Crowns Series By Kendare Blake

by Lacey Christiansen | Nov 2, 2025 | Book Review

This Fantasy Grows On You

Not gonna lie—I had a bit of a standoff with Three Dark Crowns. It felt more like a prologue than a full story. But I stuck with it, and I’m glad I did. What starts as a brutal premise blooms into a beautifully messy saga of power, sisterhood, trauma, and identity. If you love complex relationships and aren’t afraid of a little bloodletting (literal and emotional), this series might just cast a spell on you.

Hype Report

Each of these books individually hovers around 4 stars on Goodreads. I think this is just a little Over-hyped.

This post may contain affiliate links. If you click on them and make a purchase, I may earn a small commission at no extra cost to you. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Aesthetic

The Covers

Beautiful illustrations with lots of symbolism woven into the artwork. The Three Dark Crowns series is beautifully consistent. Each cover adds a dimension to the story that helps build the mood. The typography is hard to read when it overlaps the illustrations, but it is the same typeface and treatment across books. This begs the question – when is it okay to be inconsistent to ensure legibility? If the small imperfections annoy you, perhaps consider the alternative covers of the box set with redrawn cover art and matching publishers marks.

Interior

The layout of these books is also beautiful. They are easy to read. The designer added some delightful iconography to help readers differentiate between locations. They are all consistent about typography and stylistic details. The maps evolve as the story does. Books 2-4 also include character listings to keep the cast fresh in the reader’s mind.

Did the design affect whether I bought the book?

This series was gifted to me by another reader who DNF’ed the first book.

Summary

In Short

A dark, bloody saga following triplet queens from the island of Fennbirn as they must kill or be killed to wear the crown and rule the land.

From the Publisher

From Three Dark Crowns:

Three Dark Crowns
Three dark queens
are born in a glen,
sweet little triplets
will never be friends

Three dark sisters
all fair to be seen,
two to devour
and one to be Queen

Every generation on the island of Fennbirn, a set of triplets is born: three queens, all equal heirs to the crown and each possessor of a coveted magic. Mirabella is a fierce elemental, able to spark hungry flames or vicious storms at the snap of her fingers. Katharine is a poisoner, one who can ingest the deadliest poisons without so much as a stomachache. Arsinoe, a naturalist, is said to have the ability to bloom the reddest rose and control the fiercest of lions.

But becoming the Queen Crowned isn’t solely a matter of royal birth. Each sister has to fight for it. And it’s not just a game of win or lose…it’s life or death. The night the sisters turn sixteen, the battle begins. The last queen standing gets the crown.

Character Analysis

The characters are interesting, and have a sense of realism and dimensionality that you don’t always get in young adult books. Throughout the series, the characters show steady development and at times surprise you. I’ll admit that early on I didn’t like most of the teens, but as the series progressed, they grew on me.

The relationships aren’t simple. They are very messy and complicated and interwoven, just like in real life. How the characters feel and act doesn’t always make perfect sense, but in that way is totally relatable.

Writing Style

The pace throughout the Three Dark Crowns series was brisk and steady. The plot advances rapidly enough to keep you on your toes. Despite being more fantasy-oriented, this series reads a little bit like a thriller because there is constantly something happening and a general sense of urgency. The third-person point of view keeps the reader emotionally distant from all of the characters.

BR_ThreeDarkCrownsSeries_QueenMoodboard_Arsinoe

Dress Like Queen Arsinoe

Themes

The Three Dark Crowns series touches on miriad topics.

Addiction, in this case, to power/magic. There is emphasis on the “price” of low magic and how it might hurt the user or the ones that they love. In addition, there is lots of cutting and blood-letting in the name of low-magic, but this may be triggering for some readers.

Different kinds of love – friendship, family, romantic, and different manifestations of each. I am generally hesitant about the validity of true love in stories of teenagers, simply due to the lack of life experience that they have. However, perhaps being raised to kill or die and knowing that your life expectancy is very short regardless of the outcome would change the bonds that a person forms. And in this kind of state, wouldn’t those who befriend you have that same knowledge and altered perspective, and their love be more likely to be true? Who gets attached to someone they think will be gone from their life very soon? Those who mean it.

Sisterhood. Over the series, this is explored through the queens, the foster families, the real families, sisters in arms, and even across adversaries of the same ilk like Luca and Natalia.

Coming to terms with who you are. Your gifts might not look like what you expected, but they are yours, and you can choose to develop them or let them slip away.

Otherness and the subtleties of prejudice – Arrons have a specific look and demand that their household staff change their hair color to look the same, mainlanders vs. islanders, different factions of gifts form into different communities that only intermingle at ceremonies. None of these things is addressed in terms of resolution, but their existence paints a picture of the socio-political environment that the series takes place in.

BR_ThreeDarkCrownsSeries_QueenMoodboard_Mirabella

Dress Like Queen Mirabella

Critical Evaluation

The Three Dark Crowns series as a whole takes a very female-centric point of view. There is a Goddess, only queens and their much lesser, un-magic, king consorts, families are led by their women-matriarchs and oldest females. The family takes the mother’s name. On the mainland, they are referred to as witches. Oddly, it doesn’t read as feminist as the political system still manages to pit women against each other at every level. Traditional gender traits seem to be completely reversed – men who cry and sing while women are stoic and hard working. I am a little disappointed that we don’t see any stereotypically feminine traits in positions of power, making it seem like the stereotypically masculine traits are essential for success even when dressed as a woman.

BR_ThreeDarkCrownsSeries_QueenMoodboard_Katharine

Dress Like Queen Katharine

Personal Opinion

Admittedly, I had a bit of a beef with that first story…it didn’t have much story, but acted like a lengthy prologue to the actual story. However, when taken as a whole, I enjoyed the plot, the pace, and the complex relationships of the Three Dark Crowns series.

Recommendation

If you like the first book, Three Dark Crowns, I’d recommend reading the whole series. Each book gets progressively better, and the fourth book, Five Dark Fates, ties everything up nicely.