A Staged Death ~ Audiobook Review for Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours

A STAGED DEATH

A Lady Librarian Mystery, Book Four

BY SAMANTHA LARSEN

Narrated by: Marni Penning

Cozy Mystery / Historical Fiction

Audiobook Published March 31, 2026

Audio: 8 hours, 30 minutes

ABOUT THE BOOK

A cozy historical mystery set in the 18th century—perfect for Bridgerton fans!

1787, Bath. Mrs. Tiffany Lathrop has catalogued the entire library at Astwell Palace and is feeling rather dull when Mr. Thomas Montague invites her and her husband Samir to visit Bath. Thomas begs Tiffany to help reconcile his mother Catharine, the Marchioness of Harwood, on his engagement to the famous actress Miss Rosalyn Arden—a beautiful young woman with bright red curls and eyes of mismatched color.

Eager to see his beloved, Thomas stops at the Theatre Royal with Tiffany and they discover a dead body wearing a red wig in Rosalyn’s dressing room. The body is that of Miss Julia Shakespeare, Rosalyn’s understudy and the person who has been blackmailing members of the acting company. Not only are the actors behaving suspiciously, but so are Rosalyn’s newly reconciled relatives that cast her off nine years before when she jilted Sir Frederick Bingham, who then married her younger sister.

If all the world is a stage, then someone acting innocent must be the murderer. Can Tiffany solve the mystery before the final curtain?

BUY THE AUDIOBOOK

Audible 

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BOOK REVIEW

I don't spend time on plot summary, so please read the synopsis above.

HALL WAYS AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: I'm smitten with this series (even though I still haven't gotten back to read book two). I love the premise, I love the characters, and author Samantha Larsen knows how to tell a twisty, turny, terrific tale to keep readers guessing from start to finish.

Normally when I read (or read with my ears), I take all kinds of notes about the story. But in listening to A STAGED DEATH, the fourth book in the fabulous A Lady Librarian Mystery series, I wrote nothing down. It was just pure listening enjoyment. 

One of the highlights of reading this series is the Author's Note at the end of each book. Larsen separates fact from fiction and shares her dives down research rabbit holes. This is fascinating but also lends an additional air of authenticity to her stories. 

In A STAGED DEATH, readers get their armchair travel to 1787 Bath, England, and the theatre, where shenanigans ensue and a plethora of questionable characters are introduced. Larsen excels at writing fully fleshed-out, quirky characters for readers to love, loathe, or laugh about. Lady Catherine, who's been a part of the stories from the beginning, is becoming more and more interesting, and it's fun to watch her throw her power around in a time when many men just weren't having it from females.  Catherine's friendship with Tiffany is further cemented in this installment, too, and the leveling is refreshing. 

ABOUT THE AUDIOBOOK: The narrator, Marni Penning, is outstanding. As I mentioned in prior reviews, she truly performs the parts with delightful voicing of young and old, male and female, nefarious and innocent -- and snooty! She excels at snooty! Her pacing and delivery are perfect, and the audio is glitch-free. (I listened at 1.1x on the NetGalley app.)

Happily, each installment stands alone, but I recommend starting at the beginning with A Novel Surprise, if for no other reason than to watch the relationship develop between main character Tiffany and bookshop owner & constable Samir. Coming from someone who tends to avoid romance, this is huge. The author manages to sprinkle just enough details of their interactions that we're hooked on seeing these two flourish together -- even if minor things like murders, accusations, and prison seem to put a strain on things. 

In case it's not obvious, I highly recommend this series to readers who enjoy a marvelous mystery that does its own thing within classic cozy tropes. A STAGED DEATH is the best book yet.

I received the audiobook download via Great Escapes Virtual Book Tours, and I should have posted on that blog tour; however, LIFE interfered. My sincere apologies to the author and tour host. Visit the tour page for links to other participants' reviews and special features. I loved the book and can't wait to see what's next in this series. 

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Samantha writes cozy mysteries under Samantha Larsen and historical romances under Samantha Hastings. She met her husband in a turkey sandwich line. They live in Salt Lake City, Utah, where she spends most of her time reading, eating popcorn, having tea parties, and chasing her four kids. 

She has degrees from Brigham Young University, University of North Texas, and University of Reading (UK). She's the author of: The Last Word, The Invention of Sophie Carter, A Royal Christmas Quandary, The Girl with the Golden Eyes, Jane Austen Trivia, The Duchess Contract, Secret of the Sonnets, The Marquess and the Runaway Lady, and A Novel Disguise. 

Website ** Facebook ** Instagram ** X ** BookBub

READ MY AUDIOBOOK REVIEW OF BOOK ONE, A NOVEL DISGUISE ON:

GOODREADS, AMAZON, OR AUDIBLE. 

CLICK TO READ MY AUDIOBOOK REVIEW OF BOOK THREE, A POETIC POX

Lafitte Lives ~ Partners in Crime Tours Book Review, Book Trailer, & Giveaway!

LAFITTE LIVES

by Christi Keating Sumich

Historical Fiction / Mystery / Pirate Lore

Published by: Level Best Books

Publication Date: February 24, 2026

Number of Pages: 320

Scroll down for a giveaway!

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Synopsis:

Secrets can’t stay buried forever—but maybe some should.

In bustling, multicultural 1831 New Orleans, Tobias Whitney, the sexton of St. Louis Cemetery No. 2, uncovers a journal sealed inside the tomb of Dominique You—war hero of the Battle of New Orleans, privateer, and half-brother of the notorious pirate Jean Lafitte. Convinced that the journal holds the key to Lafitte’s lost treasure, Tobias turns to his sharp-witted and outspoken wife, Mary Catherine, to translate its cryptic French passages.

Tobias and Mary Catherine discover secrets they could not have imagined—secrets that could change their lives forever. But is it really the truth? As the journal warns: Never trust a pirate!

Lafitte Lives blends meticulous historical research with a page-turning mystery, bringing the legend of Jean Lafitte to life while telling the redemptive story of Tobias's grief and Mary Catherine's quest to help him overcome it.

BOOK LINKS:

Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble

BookShop.org | Goodreads

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CHECK OUT THE LAFITTE LIVES BOOK TRAILER!

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BOOK REVIEW

I don't spend time on plot summary, so please read the book synopsis above.

HALL WAYS REVIEW: Lafitte Lives wins for the most nose-wrinkling first chapter I’ve ever read, and author Christi Keating Sumich masterfully engages the readers’ senses while explaining a very real historical problem of cemeteries in places that are at sea level. This mix of historical fact and fiction of 1800s New Orleans makes Lafitte Lives a fascinating, atmospheric read.

“Strange, he often mused, that spending his days surrounded by the dead was the only way he could cope with the living.”

Told as a story within a story (that *SURPRISE* then adds another story), Lafitte Lives allows the author’s meticulous research and marvelous imagination to take flight and thoroughly entertain. The primary story is of main character Tobias, who when we meet him, is numbed by his grief. It is here that readers learn the tragedies of his life with his wife, Mary Catherine, who is a spitfire of a woman and the most memorable of characters. The secondary story is told via a journal, allegedly penned by Dominique You, the brother of Jean Lafitte.

As Dominique is wont to say, again and again: never trust a pirate. I would extend that to say: never trust a pirate or someone who doth protest too loudly that he is—or isn’t—one. Careful readers will find plenty of hints as to why we should (or shouldn't) believe Dominique, and it’s clear that *something* is afoot. But even if one figures out the mystery of the journal, there’s a terrific twist at the end that is sure to satisfy.

Lafitte Lives is in no way a traditional mystery, and the action of Lafitte Lives happens only as Dominique summarizes events and Jean Lafitte’s adventures. At times, this gets tedious and frustrating as the promises of “telling that tale later” fell short. There are only the smallest elements of danger for the real-world characters, though the specter of Yellow Jack (yellow fever) is always looming. But just like Tobias anxiously awaits the translations of each chapter of the journal, so do readers. And with Mary Catherine stringing Tobias and us all along, in her very intentional way (and while berating those cheeky, saucy kids), we can’t stop turning the pages.

Having very little knowledge of Jean Lafitte, early on, I skipped to the Afterword, hoping to learn a little of what is fact versus fiction. SCORE! What enriching contextual information is found there, and it solidifies that Sumich is an accomplished historian. Happily, she’s an equally skilled writer who uses a robust vocabulary and rich details to evoke feelings and moods. BONUS: the book is gloriously, cleanly edited, which makes reading go smoothly.

Ultimately, the stories within Lafitte Lives are ones of healing, though some characters’ wounds are more obvious than others’.  I’m excited that there is a new series springing from this book (Old New Orleans Bookshop series), and it sounds like Mary Catherine (and Tobias and their bookstore, Chapter and Verse) will be taking a more prominent role. Watch for the first installment, The Swamp Ghost, in September, 2026. I am IN.

I voluntarily reviewed this book and received an e-ARC from the author through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours.

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AUTHOR BIO:

Christi Keating Sumich holds a PhD in history from Tulane University and a master’s degree in English. Her research field is seventeenth-century disease and healing.

Christi’s writing combines her fascination with history with her love of the mystery genre. Her debut novel, Lafitte Lives (Level Best Books, March 2026), is a historical mystery centered on her ancestor, the notorious pirate Jean Lafitte. She is also the author of the Old New Orleans Bookshop Series, mysteries featuring characters from Lafitte Lives. The Swamp Ghost is the first book in the series (Level Best Books, September 2026).

Christi is also part of a writing team with her mother, Sharon Keating. They are the co-authors of Hauntingly Good Spirits: New Orleans Cocktails to Die For (Wellfleet Press, 2024) and The Brandy Milk Punch (Louisiana State University Press, 2025), part of the Iconic New Orleans Cocktail Series. Catch Up With Christi Sumich:

ChristiSumich.com ** Amazon Author Profile ** Goodreads ** BookBub

Instagram - @casumich ** Facebook - @christi.keating.sumich.author

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Claim Your Treasure! Celebrate LAFITTE LIVES!

 TWO WINNERS RECEIVE $25 AMAZON GIFT CARDS!

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This giveaway is hosted by Partners in Crime Tours for Christi Keating Sumich.

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LAFITTE LIVES by Christi Sumich | Gift Cards

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Tour Participants:

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Eyes to Deceit ~ Partners in Crime Tours Book Review & Excerpt!

EYES TO DECEIT

The Company Files, Book 4  

by GABRIEL VALJAN

Literary Noir / Historical Fiction / Classic Spy Fiction

Published by: Level Best Books

Publication Date: November 4, 2025

Number of Pages: 212 pages

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SYNOPSIS:

THE COMPANY FILES: BOOK 4

Espionage is easy. Living with it isn’t.

The Company named it Operation Ajax. MI6 labeled it Boot. History would call it a coup.

Walker calls it the beginning of the end.

1953. The Company is orchestrating the overthrow of Iran’s elected leader—an operation cloaked in propaganda and alliances. In Rome, Walker is stationed with Leslie, former M16 and now Company agent, and tasked to coordinate efforts between the US and UK. But when resources on the ground become a liability, Walker is forced to make a difficult decision—one that threatens to unravel what’s left of his conscience.

As the coup’s first attempt crumbles and Washington grows desperate, old loyalties shift. Allen Dulles wants results. Kim Roosevelt wants glory. Darbyshire feels left out. And Walker begins to suspect he’s not there to help win the Cold War, but to prove he can stomach it.

From Missouri to Rome to the Catskills to Tehran, EYES TO DECEIT explores postwar American idealism—and the spies who find themselves too loyal, too late, to walk away clean.

For readers of le Carré, Furst, Kanon, and Vidich this is espionage at its most personal—and most perilous.

BUY THE BOOK:

Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org

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BOOK REVIEW

I don't spend time on plot summary, so please read the book synopsis above.

HALL WAYS REVIEW: It’s true that history tends to repeat itself, but could author Gabriel Valjan been any more prescient in writing Eyes to Deceit? That’s a rhetorical question—no he couldn’t—and holy cow, I wish he weren’t!

“Once power moves in secret, it rarely stops at the border.”

In Eyes to Deceit, the fourth book in The Company Files series, the United States is planning a coup to overthrow Iran, but hang on—this isn’t a story ripped from today’s headlines. We’re not reading about the propaganda-filled US-Israeli Operation Epic Fury, which appears to have only the goal of bombing Iran to oblivion. Rather, Eyes to Deceit details 1953’s propaganda-filled, carefully coordinated, very real US-British-Italianish mission, Operation Ajax. As author Gabriel Valjan says in the not-to-be-missed Afterword, the rationale for Operation Ajax was “containment, oil, and influence—but the consequences spiraled far beyond Iran’s borders.” Sure, go ahead and substitute Epic Fury there. Same holds true.

Readers are thrown right into the middle of the Cold War and chapters of Eyes to Deceit alternate between two sets of multinational Company operatives, most of whom were in the first book, The Good Man, which I reviewed in 2018. American Walker and British Leslie are reunited to work in Rome, where they rekindle their romance while working with rich, powerful, influential Italian, American, and Iranian people to see that Operation Ajax succeeds. American Jack and Russian Sheldon are working state-side, where Sheldon is pulled out of his writer’s life and back into service working undercover at a resort in the Catskills (think Dirty Dancing and you’re there) to secure assets needed for mission success. In this installment, readers learn much more about Sheldon, a Holocaust survivor, and German Tania, a young girl he rescued from atrocious abuse, who accompanies Sheldon to the resort as his niece. Sidenote: Young (but old-souled) Tania is by far the most interesting person: haunted, cerebral, and wickedly clever. I’ve no desire to learn more about the horrors she’s endured, but I’d love to see what’s next for her.

“Gossip and new money glistened like diamonds.”

As with book one, in Eyes to Deceit, Valjan does an outstanding job with the settings (which include New York, Washington DC, Boston, the Catskills, and Rome), creating a tangible mood with evocative language. His detailed descriptions add to the authenticity of time and place. Readers are treated to eloquent depictions of cities recovering from war and everything from high fashion to luxurious locations and opulent meals, providing a snapshot of life in the fifties. Adding to the realism, the author includes and references many real historical figures such as: Harry Truman, Dwight Eisenhower, Allen Dulles, Kermit Roosevelt, Norman Darbyshire, Mohammad Mossadegh, Clare Boothe Luce, and Giulio Andreotti. Even Audrey Hepburn and Gregory Peck make appearances (and the former a courier for the Dutch Resistance in WWII? Who knew?)

There is much more to appreciate in Valjan’s writing. The primary characters are all well-read, so the literary references—and literary discourses—are abundant, which warms a bookish-girl's heart. Additionally, it’s the mark of a gifted writer when he can demonstrate heat and passion in just a few choice words while keeping details of Walker’s and Leslie’s trysts off page. Thank you for trusting your readers’ imaginations, Mr. Valjan. Most of the characters are intellectual, multilingual, and well-versed in history and politics. Valjan reflects that in intelligent, cerebral writing, with a liberal dose of other-than-English languages, which again makes my linguistic soul sing.

The author demands readers keep up, but admittedly, there are more than a few places that I couldn’t discern meaning or missed the reference for lack of context or my own historical knowledge. I had hoped for more action, twists, and danger to our characters, as in the first book. Instead, Eyes to Deceit is more about backstage negotiations and deliberations, not body counts or violent encounters: a real surprise in an espionage thriller. My only other quibble is that there are a smattering of typos and errors that I noticed, which would easily have been caught by one more editing pass.

Eyes to Deceit is a well-written, provocative piece of historical fiction that when juxtaposed against current world affairs takes the story to a new level. I recommend starting the series at the beginning to have maximum appreciation of the characters and their unique storylines, which will make reading Eyes to Deceit an even better reading escape (though it was nearly perfect as a stand-alone for a rainy day with my grandpuppy on my lap). Gabriel Valjan is a talented, cerebral writer who challenges readers while telling a heckuvagood story. Go on and binge the books!

I voluntarily reviewed this book and received an e-ARC from the author through Partners in Crime Virtual Book Tours.

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Check out the rest of the Company Files series!

Click to Read Hall Ways Blog's Review of Book 1, The Good Man.

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | BookBub

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | BookBub

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org | Goodreads | BookBub

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READ AN EXCERPT FROM EYES TO DECEIT:

Tania moved fast, her shoes clicked sharply on the floor. She fished a five-dollar bill from her clutch and approached a housekeeper in the hallway.

“A roll of toilet paper, and in a discreet bag, please.”

The woman hesitated, but Tania’s eyes were steady, unblinking. She slid the bill into the woman’s shoulder strap with practiced ease.

“Take it,” Tania said softly. “In case someone accuses you of theft.”

The woman nodded.

Ruth led the way. Tania followed, her mind already ahead, calculating the next move. In the bathroom, she locked the door and leaned against the wall. She heard Judith’s groans.

“It’s me, Judy.”

“Tania?” Her voice was barely a whisper.

The air was thick with sweat and nausea, sharp like unchanged hospital linens. Tania handed Ruth the roll of paper and a small perfume atomizer.

“Tell her it’s from London. She’ll like it.”

Ruth nodded and slipped into the stall.

Tania stepped back into the hallway, then stopped. A girl sick and humiliated in a stall behind her. She caught her reflection in a wall sconce—lipstick fine, hair in place, eyes clear.

Decide now.

This wasn’t strategy. She wasn’t gaining leverage. And still, her feet moved.

When she returned, Judith was pale, shaken, but upright. Tania offered her the drink.

“Peppermint helps nausea,” she said.

Judith studied her. “I don’t know what kind of game you’re playing.”

“There’s no game,” Tania said. “You have to believe me.”

Judith hesitated. “You and your uncle seem awfully interested in my father.”

Tania unwrapped a mint. “It’s a secret,” she said. “Just not the kind you think.”

She leaned in. “The government wants something your father owns or controls. Sheldon’s the go-between.”

Judith stared at her. “That sounds shady.”

“It might be.”

Judith exhaled. “They spiked my drink. Esther and those girls. Laxatives.”

Tania nodded. “Brutal.”

Silence settled between them.

Tania met her eyes.

“Want revenge?”

Judith smiled.

And didn’t say no.

***

Excerpt from Eyes to Deceit: The Company Files by Gabriel Valjan. Copyright 2025 by Gabriel Valjan. Reproduced with permission from Gabriel Valjan. All rights reserved.

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AUTHOR BIO:

Gabriel Valjan is the author of The Company Files and the Shane Cleary Mysteries from Level Best Books. He has been nominated for the Agatha, Anthony, Derringer, and Silver Falchion awards. He received the 2021 Macavity Award for Best Short Story, and the Shamus Award for Best PI in 2023. Gabriel is a member of the Historical Novel Society, ITW, MWA, and Sisters in Crime. He lives in Boston and answers to a tuxedo cat named Munchkin.

GabrielValjan.com ** Amazon Author Profile ** Goodreads

BookBub - @gvaljan ** Instagram - @gabrielvaljan

BlueSky - @gvaljan.bsky.social

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Tour Participants:

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Round Up the Unusual Suspects ~ Partners in Crimes Tours Book Trailer, Guest Post, & Giveaway!

ROUND UP THE UNUSUAL SUSPECTS

A Babs Norman Hollywood Mystery, Book 3

by Elizabeth Crowens

 

Golden Age of Hollywood Mystery / Humor / Detective

Published by: Level Best Books

Publication Date: January 20, 2026

Number of Pages: 328

SCROLL DOWN FOR A GIVEAWAY!

SYNOPSIS:

A Babs Norman Hollywood Mystery

Against the backdrop of WWII, no one expected to find a murdered stagehand on a Warner Brothers sound stage. With so much at stake, Jack L. Warner hires Babs Norman and Guy Brandt, the two young private eyes who recently resolved his high-profile Maltese Falcon/Blackbird Killer Case. Social justice crusader Leon Lewis suspects local Nazi sympathizers are responsible. Lewis assigns a German stuntman, a veteran of the decadent subculture of Weimar Berlin nightlife and one of his newest operatives, to join forces with the private detectives.

According to Warner, the show must go on, but everything from bomb scares to the Japanese internment, to unruly parrots, forbidden love, and family crises conspires against solving the crime. “As Time Goes By,” actors Humphrey Bogart, Ingrid Bergman, and the rest of the Casablanca ensemble join the professional private eyes to round up the unusual suspects and capture the killer.

BUY THE BOOK:

Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | BookShop.org

Round Up the Unusual Suspects Trailer:

CHECK OUT THE REST OF THE BABS NORMAN MYSTERY SERIES:

Love 1940s classic movies? Treat yourself to the award-winning Hounds of the Hollywood Baskervilles (Book 1) and Bye, Bye Blackbird (Book 2) of Elizabeth Crowens’s Babs Norman Golden Age of Hollywood mystery series by Level Best Books.

Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads | BookBub

Amazon | Kindle | Barnes & Noble | Goodreads | BookBub

* * *

GUEST POST BY ELIZABTH CROWENS

"The Ups and Downs of Interview Questions"

Hi, everyone. I’m Elizabeth Crowens, and I just released Book 3 of my Babs Norman Golden Age of Hollywood Mystery series, Round Up the Unusual Suspects, about a murder on the Warner Brothers studio lot in 1942 where my PIs, Babs Norman and Guy Brandt, enlist the help of the cast of Casablanca to solve the mystery. Where did the title come from? There’s a famous line that Captain Louis Renault, the Vichy Chief of Police (played by Claude Rains), always says, and that’s, “Round up the usual suspects.” I just tweaked it a bit.

Whenever I launch a book, I do a few author interviews, but sometimes I get either the most bizarre questions, or the first answer that pops into my head is completely off the wall. For example, let’s talk about snacks. Apparently, a popular question to ask is what kind of snacks do I indulge in while in the writing zone? First of all, I shouldn’t be eating anything if I’m constantly counting my calories. Secondly, I’ve spilled coffee and cereal on enough keyboards that I should know better by now. There’s a dedicated spill zone to the left of my desk where my tan carpet has been permanently stained from reaching for a cup of coffee or putting one back and missing the end table. It’s gotten so bad that I purchased a peacock blue shaggy bathmat from Target and covered it up. Also, one of my favorite snacks is extra crunchy Cheetos, but the last thing I want to do is to get that neon orange cheese dust all over my computer! Yikes! Time to make a trip to the Apple Store.

Another question I get is what kind of music I listen to when I’m working? Generally, I can’t listen to music. It’s too distracting. Although on Sundays, I like to start out with Beethoven’s 9th Symphony, probably because I’m such a Stanley Kubrick film freak. Remember A Clockwork Orange? Yeah, I have strange tastes in film, but the cinematography from that movie, along with the first Star Wars, was what propelled me to work in the entertainment industry. So, on most Sundays, I indulge in classical music. Saturdays when I’m cleaning around the house, I get into lively rock and roll like The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, or the B-side of Abbey Road by The Beatles. I play that one a lot and also like their song, "Paperback Writer." Gee, I wonder why? LOL

When it comes to editing, I must have absolute quiet. Pretty much the same for writing, but on occasion, and only if I’m working in the early evening, a glass of wine and movie soundtracks do the trick. My favorite film composer is Hans Zimmer. But for the most part, since I like it quiet with no distractions, I tend to wake in the middle of the night to write. For that, I need my coffee.

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AUTHOR BIO:

Elizabeth Crowens is bi-coastal between New York and Los Angeles, where she has worn many hats in the entertainment industry. Awards include Lefty nominee for Best Humorous Mystery, Agatha nominee in multiple categories, MWA-NY Chapter Leo B. Burstein Scholarship, NYFA grant, Eric Hoffer Award, Glimmer Train, Killer Nashville Claymore finalist, Killer Nashville Silver Falchion Top Picks, two Grand prize and six First prize Chanticleer Awards. Crowens writes Golden Age of Hollywood mystery with humor and alternate history in her Time Traveler Professor series. She also has a popular Caption Contest on Facebook.

Catch Up With Elizabeth Crowens:
www.ElizabethCrowens.com ** Amazon Author Profile ** Goodreads
BookBub - @ecrowens ** Instagram - @crowens_author ** X - @ECrowens
Facebook - @thereel.elizabeth.crowens ** BlueSky - @elizabethcrowens.bsky.social

GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY! GIVEAWAY!

Lights, Camera, Murder! 

Win 1 of 2 $25 Bookshop.org Gift Cards!

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This giveaway is hosted by Partners in Crime Tours for Elizabeth Crowens. See the widget for entry terms and conditions. Void where prohibited.

Round Up the Unusual Suspects by Elizabeth Crowens | Gift Card

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A Poetic Pox: A Lady Librarian Mystery ~ Audiobook Review

A POETIC POX

A Lady Librarian Mystery, Book Three

BY SAMANTHA LARSEN

Narrated by: Marni Penning

Cozy Mystery / Historical Fiction

eBook: 275 pages; Published January 29, 2026

Audio: 8 hours, 47 minutes; Published July 22, 2025

ABOUT THE BOOK

1786, England. It is the twelve days of Christmas and Mrs. Tiffany Lathrop is happily juggling her duties as a new mother and a librarian to Catharine, the Duchess of Beaufort. Her employer receives a mysterious letter from an old paramour, the Marquess of Harwood, who is the biological father of Catharine’s son. He promises to leave his estate and fortune to Beau if he can see the boy before he dies.

Her elder son Thomas Montague has a terrible cold, so Catharine asks Tiffany to accompany her and Beau. When they arrive at the dilapidated abbey, they discover a dead body—only it isn’t the marquess, but his valet! Lord Harwood is alive, but unconscious with suspicious looking pox marks on his hands. Tiffany wonders if the marquess is really dying, or if it is all poetic revenge? Especially when she discovers the secrets that haunt Rosedean Abbey.

Between breastfeeding and dirty diapers, Tiffany must discover who killed the valet and attempted to murder the marquess before anyone else dies.

BUY THE BOOK

Kindle *** Audiobook 

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BOOK REVIEW

I don't spend time on plot summary, so please read the synopsis above.

HALL WAYS AUDIOBOOK REVIEW: Between the title, cover, and the audiobook sample I listened to, there was no way I wasn’t going to dive into A Poetic Pox as soon as possible and stay there until the last word had been uttered. Sometimes, you just *know* when a book is a perfect fit, and I’m happy to report that my gut didn’t do me dirty in choosing A Poetic Pox for my next listen. Reminiscent of one of my favorite characters, Lady Sherlock of Sherry Thomas’s series of the same name, main character Mrs. Tiffany Lathrop is sharp as a tack, witty, and defies societal expectations and behaviors. What fun!

A Poetic Pox includes a plethora of characters to keep up with and few relationships are straightforward. In this respect, it might be easier to read with the eyes as opposed to the ears. My solution was to just jot down names and details - then mark them out and update them; the author definitely keeps readers on their toes with surprising reveals, one after another. Possibly, the new eBook version will have a cast of characters. 

“I would not paint all women as sinners or saint. Life is far too complicated for such simplistic morality.”

Set in eighteenth-century England during the days leading up to The Twelfth Night, A Poetic Pox gives readers a peek into societal norms and class and gender differences of the time. One interesting aspect of the book is how the characters are breaking those boundaries. Another interesting aspect is the factual history of the smallpox epidemic, and author Samantha Larsen doesn’t shy away from depicting the horrors of it and the medical treatments of the time. *shiver* It’s clear she’s done her research. (Side note: we’re currently watching Ken Burns’s American Revolution series on PBS, so seeing the parallel impact of the disease on this side of the pond at the same time.) Add in a hint of the paranormal, secret passages, a decaying abbey, and dodgy characters-a-plenty, A Poetic Pox is practically unputdownable with its worldbuilding.

“Why did Tiffany yearn for more than what her Lord had so generously given her?”

While the novel is historical fiction, Larsen also reminds readers of women’s issues and themes that are timeless: the guilt of a mom who wants more than just motherhood; the difficulty of finding balance; the ruminations about life and purpose. There are regular – and likely quite intentional – interruptions in the story while Tiffany has to nurse or change the nappy of a demanding baby. These parts often offered some comic relief and tenderness against the horrors of death and disease.

Going in, I didn’t realize that A Poetic Pox is the third book in the A Lady Librarian Mystery series because I didn’t have any trouble following the story as a stand-alone. However, I am very interested in knowing the backstory of how Tiffany became a private librarian at all, given the period, how she first met Samir Lathrop, a bookseller who is now her husband, and of course, Lady Catharine’s full, sure-to-be-juicy story. (I’ve already downloaded the audiobook of the first book in the series, A Novel Disguise, and can’t wait to get started and get all the tea.)

ABOUT THE AUDIOBOOK: The narrator, Marni Penning, is outstanding and truly performs the parts with delightful voicing of young and old, male and female, nefarious and innocent. Her pacing and delivery are perfect, and the audio is glitch-free. (I listened at 1.1x on the Audiobooks.com app.)

Hang on to your petticoats! A Poetic Pox provides a wild, twisty plot with surprising reveals that come one after another, like aftershocks to an earthquake. But fear not: the author brings it back around to give readers a happy, hopeful ending – and plenty of anticipation for a next installment. 

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Samantha writes cozy mysteries under Samantha Larsen and historical romances under Samantha Hastings. She met her husband in a turkey sandwich line. They live in Salt Lake City, Utah, where she spends most of her time reading, eating popcorn, having tea parties, and chasing her four kids. 

She has degrees from Brigham Young University, University of North Texas, and University of Reading (UK). She's the author of: The Last Word, The Invention of Sophie Carter, A Royal Christmas Quandary, The Girl with the Golden Eyes, Jane Austen Trivia, The Duchess Contract, Secret of the Sonnets, The Marquess and the Runaway Lady, and A Novel Disguise. 

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READ MY AUDIOBOOK REVIEW OF BOOK FOUR, A STAGED DEATH

Narrow the Road by James Wade

 

NARROW THE ROAD

BY JAMES WADE

Narrated by Roger Clark

Literary Fiction / Coming of Age / Southern / Historical

Publisher: Blackstone Publishing

Publication Date: August 26, 2025

Audio Length: 9 hours, 20 minutes

Print Length: 306 pages

ABOUT THE BOOK: In this gripping coming-of-age odyssey, a young man's quest to reunite his family takes him on a life-altering journey through the wilds of 1930s East Texas, where both danger and opportunity grow as thick as the pines.

With his father missing and his mother gravely ill, William Carter is struggling to keep his family's cotton farm afloat in the face of drought and foreclosure. As his options wane, William receives a mysterious letter that claims to know his father's whereabouts.

Together with his best friend Ollie, a mortician in training, William sets out to find his father and bring him home to set things right. But before the boys can complete their quest, they must navigate the labyrinth of the Big Thicket, some of the country's most uncharted, untamed land. Along the way they encounter eccentric backwoods characters of every order, running afoul of murderers, bootleggers, and even the legendary Bonnie and Clyde.

But the danger is doubled when the boys agree to take on a medicine show runaway named Lena, eliciting the ire of the show's leader, the nefarious con man Doctor Downtain. As William, Ollie, and Lena race to uncover the clues and find William's father, Downtain is closing in on them, readying to make good on his violent reputation. With the clock ticking, William must decide where his loyalties lie and how far he's willing to go for the people he loves.

From award-winning author James Wade, Narrow the Road is a riveting exploration of a young man's hard-won coming-of-age and the courageous ways a person can forge a singular path in the face of overwhelming adversity. Alive with grit and tenderness, this is an unforgettable story of the power of friendship to sustain us through loss, betrayal, and devastating consequence.

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BOOK REVIEW

I don't spend time on plot summary, so please read the synopsis above.

HALL WAYS REVIEW: Audiobook Review. I read NARROW THE ROAD with my ears and not surprisingly, it's outstanding. It's so outstanding that I'm now turning to the paperback to revisit some exceptionally profound, beautiful, heartbreaking sentences and scenes that only Texas author James Wade can create. Wade has a near-unbelievable talent to tell a tale. (I've read all of his books to date, and I've never been disappointed.)

As always, audiobook narrator Roger Clark knocks it out of the park with his perfect delivery of Wade's words. Clark performs and voices the characters in such a way that we're transported to another place and time. His pacing is perfect (I listened at regular speed), and the audio is glitch free -- because Blackstone Audio doesn't do any differently.

If you enjoy savoring a story slowly and appreciate carefully constructed sentences that evoke all the feels, NARROW THE ROAD is a must-read experience. I expect to see this book on a lot of awards lists this year. 

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

James Wade is the award-winning author of Beasts of the Earth, All Things Left Wild, and River, Sing Out. He is the youngest novelist to win two Spur Awards from the Western Writers of America, and the recipient of the MPIBA’s prestigious Reading the West Award. James’s work has appeared in Southern Literary Magazine, the Bitter Oleander, Writers’ Digest, and numerous additional publications. James lives and writes in the Texas Hill Country with his wife and children.

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