October 2026 Book Reviews!
It's November and we'll soon be in the holiday season! Before we get there, however, it's time to take a look at the books I read in October.
As I mentioned last month, we spent almost three weeks in Italy and Greece in October, so I was really limited in the amount of time I had available to read. When we got back, however, the evenings had cooled off at home and it was the perfect temperature for throwing on a sweatshirt and reading on the lanai in the evenings.
Although my total reading was a little lower last month, I did come across some good books, so be sure to check them out! And remember that you can always follow me on Goodreads or The Story Graph for real time reviews. Enjoy!
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The Seahawk Consignment by Jim Vincent
Tara is a journalist who has uncovered some incriminating things about British company, Seahawk. When she realizes that a fellow journalist in another country has uncovered similar evidence, the two come together to share and publish what they know. But will the people that want the truth to stay hidden get to Tara and her colleague before they are able to publish?
This is a short and fast paced thriller that has a interesting story line. While a bit predictable at times, the plot does keep you wanting to turn the page to see what happens next. The characters need a bit more development. I think the author intentionally set out to make Tara a bit flawed, but it didn't play well for me personally and seemed a bit awkward at times.
Generally well written although a bit mechanical at times.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Three out of five stars.
Not A Word by Linwood Barclay
When Reece unexpectedly stops by his parents' house to drop off some books, he discovers what appears to be a murder-suicide with both of his parents dead in their bed. But when his phone rings and it's someone he wasn't expecting to call, the past secrets his family has been hiding start to unravel.
This is a definite page turner with lots of twists and turns. The author does a great job of slowly dropping little pieces of information without revealing the full truth until the very end. It's well written and keeps you guessing until the final big reveal. Highly recommend!
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Four out of five stars!
You Broke Me First by Lorraine Brown
When Ava gets a chance to write an article about tennis pro Marcus Taylor, she finds him short tempered and difficult to be around. But as she gets closer, she sees a different side to him. And when they have to fake a relationship for the press to help his career, she starts experiencing feelings she knows she shouldn't have.
This is a super sweet romance with a pretty predictable ending. Not a lot of tension as other enemy to lovers romances, and not really steamy in any way. But a cute story and fun to read.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Three out of five stars.
I Drank From The Nile: An Unbreakable Memoir Of Resilience by Katya Dunko
In this memoir, the author shares her story of addiction and struggling with her mental health. Her choices led her to a life in Cairo, where she eventually married and became a mother, only to realize she needed to escape with her daughter to be able to live a life of freedom.
Definitely a powerful story. It felt like it could have been shortened a bit, as many parts dragged on a little. But overall, very engaging.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Three out of five stars.
Diversions And Delights In Costa del Sol: Two Old Fogies Divert Disasters And Experience Culinary Delights In Southern Spain by Lele Beutel
This book feels like the author was just writing in her personal journal to document her vacation. I thought there would be more descriptions of her travels and the sites she saw, but she spent her time mostly talking about the travels themselves - delayed flights, forgetting her passport, etc.
The author is also very religious and there are a lot of references to God, which seems out of place for a travel book.
Not really what I expected and a bit disappointing.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Two out of five stars.
Cat Food (The Girl Dad Series, Book 1) by Zak Olivier
Maks is trying to juggle a job he really doesn't love with his family life. And while he'd prefer to give writing a shot, he knows he has to provide for his family. But when a surgery forces him to take some time off amongst a potential company restructuring, it forces Maks to reevaluate some things.
This is a very simple but sweet story. Sometimes those are the ones that hit the hardest. I loved Maks' character and his honesty in the book.
A great story about family and what really matters.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Four out of five stars!
The Advocate's Trigger: Legal Suspense Murder Mystery (The Advocate Series Book 20) by Teresa Burrell
What appears to be a routine transfer of a young man - Mateo - from a group home suddenly ends up in his disappearance, his lawyer tries to discover the truth of what happened. And when the death of a child probation officer also happens, questions start to arise as to whether the two cases are related.
This is a good thriller/mystery that keeps you guessing until the end. Fast paced with good action, the story always stays on point. It did feel like there were a few too many characters which made the story a little complex at times, but overall the book is very well put together.
This is a good one if you are looking for a good legal system type of action thriller.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Four out of five stars!
Between The World And Me by Ta-Nehisi Coates
In this non-fiction book, the author writes a letter to his 15 year old son, trying to express to him what it means to grow up as a Black man in America. For anyone living in their own little world, this book is eye opening and a raw and honest expression of the author's personal experience.
Extremely well written and well worth the read. This book was listed on the New York Times list of the "Best 100 Books of the 21st Century" and should be on everyone's to be read list. Four out of five stars!
The Sex Detective: Dominion Release (A Hellstrom Mystery) by B.T. Gottfred
Ivan Hellstrom is a detective that gets involved in a mystery entailing the richest family in town. And when it looks like Hellstrom's wife might be involved in the family's illegal activities, Hellstrom has to decide who to trust and who not to trust.
This is a definite page turner. Lots of twists and turns. The book is very well written. It's not surprising to me that the author is a screenwriter and a playwright, as the dialogue in the book really stands out. It's extremely well done, does a great job of helping to develop the characters, and keeps the book moving. So many authors don't do dialogue well, so it's great to see it done really well for a change.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Four out of five stars!
Murder On The Hatchie: The NAACP's First Martyr by Jim Emison
This book tells the true story of the 1940 lynching of Elbert Williams in Brownsville, Tennessee. At a time when Black people legally had the right to vote, but in practice were prevented from voting in many places across the South, this very well researched book goes into great detail about a story that many people don't know about.
When the Black community in Brownsville formed an NAACP chapter and attempted to register to vote in the upcoming election, the white leaders in the community - led by the sheriff and the mayor - did anything they could to stop that from happening. This book goes into not only what happened in the town of Brownsville itself, but how so many other federal entities - including the NAACP, FBI and federal government - also failed the Black community of the town and refused to acknowledge Elbert Williams and his murder.
Very well researched and written. The author does a great job of not only telling the story of the struggles in that community, but discovering all the cover ups and mistakes that were made that prevented any sort of justice from happening.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Four out of five stars!
Trauma Call (Steele and Flowers Murder Mysteries Book 1) by Debrah Wirtzfeld.
Christine Flowers has recently become a homicide detective after spending years as a trauma surgeon. She's partnered with Detective Steele, who is known for her reputation of being super successful at solving murders, but not for getting along with others - including other partners. When a surgeon at the hospital that Flowers used to work at ends up dead under suspicious circumstances, Flowers and Steele are assigned to the case. Will Flowers' past with the victim's parents come back to haunt her?
I thought the story in this one was quite good. The author took you through lots of twists and turns, and it didn't become clear "whodunit" until the end. However, the book felt a little clunky to read for a few reasons. First, it was written in the third person, and I felt it would have been much more effective if it was written in the first person and from Detective Flowers' perspective. Second, the dialogue felt off in a lot of instances. A bit mechanical and not natural at times. If you read my reviews regularly, you know this is one of my pet peeves with many books. Finally, the story came across at a good pace at the beginning and end, but definitely dragged out in the middle. It just seemed to get caught up in itself a bit and could have benefitted from some editing and cleaning up.
Good story and lots of potential for this author and series, but needs a bit of refinement in future books in my opinion.
I received an advance review copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily. Three out of five stars.
Remember as we get into the holiday season this year, to take some time for yourself and read a book! I will be!
What books do you recommend I read next? Let me know! Did you check out any of these books? I'd love to hear what you think! Comment below or e-mail me at tips2livebywriter@gmail.com.
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