Rosh's Reviews

AUTHOR: Sally Hepworth GENRE: Contemporary Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: April 21, 2026 RATING: 4 stars. In a Nutshell: A mystery-drama with a geriatric character in the lead. Good leading duo, interesting storyline, some good twists (though I guessed every single one of these well in advance. 😐) Character-driven. Too many coincidences. Too much of a tragic background for one character. Didn’t like the final chapter. Works well enough when you want an entertaining work that seems light even in its darkness. Recommended. DO NOT READ THIS AS A THRILLER! Plot Preview: Eighty-one-year-old Elsie Mabel Fitzpatrick isn't your typical old lady. She is tall, fit, foul-mouthed, and happier alone than interacting with her neighbours, whom she barely tolerates. Oh, and unknown to most others on her street, she is also “Mad Mabel”, who was Australia’s youngest murder convict at age fifteen. Elsie’s quiet life is interrupted when an old neighbour dies suddenly and someone in her vicinity discover...

AUTHOR: Tasha Gold GENRE: Contemporary Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: May 12, 2026 RATING: 3.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A contemporary fiction containing romance, redemption, and revenge. Some good secondary characters, but the lead character has double standards. Nice storyline, but contains way more romance than I thought it would. Great representation of Jewish culture. Not a light read. Many triggers, including brutal animal death (though nothing harsh is described on page) and holocaust. An interesting novel that might work better if you don’t overthink as much as Scarlett and I do. Plot Preview: 2018. USA. Thirty-year-old Scarlett has hidden her identity for most of her adult life. Even her husband Daniel doesn’t know her backstory. But when her uncle Arthur, her only true guardian in her younger years, suffers a health setback, she is forced to confront the past that she has ignored all this while, and return to his small-town home. The place also holds Brackson prison, a place that st...

AUTHOR: Jaima Fixsen GENRE: Historical Crime Mystery PUBLICATION DATE: August 18, 2026 RATING: 3 stars. In a Nutshell: A historical mystery following a pair of siblings and a crime. Nice use of the small-town setting. Historically-relevant inclusions (including polio.) Good development of the lead characters but not so much of the secondary characters. Convoluted mystery with too many interconnections and a lacklustre ending. A mixed bag for me. Plot Preview: 1955. When Edie moved to Clairbeck, a small mining town in Canada, to work as a nurse after her divorce, she didn’t expect that her ex-husband would be murdered soon, and that she would be the prime suspect. Her brother Peter, just discharged from the hospital after contracting polio, is determined to help clear her name, but with his limited mobility and physical strength, he is mainly reliant on his camera to look for evidence. With the secrets soon piling up, the siblings find themselves struggling to sort out the mess. The sto...

AUTHOR: Gabrielle Meyer SERIES: Dollar Princess, #3 GENRE: Historical Romance. PUBLICATION DATE: October 6, 2026 RATING: 4.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A historical romance retelling the Hollywood musical ‘The Sound of Music’ by setting it in the Gilded era. Great characters, wonderful writing, excellent research, satisfying ending. Christian in approach, but never preachy. The third book of the Dollar Princess series, and can be read as a standalone though it continues from the earlier book. Much recommended. Plot Preview: 1886. When nineteen-year-old Addie is forced to leave her wealthy New York home and work as a governess in the house of George Stafford aka the Earl of Torrington, she isn't exactly looking forward to it. But when she finds his household lacking in joy, with his five children determined to drive away every governess in the hopes of getting more time with their father who has turned reclusive after the death of his wife, Addie is determined to bring happiness to them....

AUTHOR: Kit Gray GENRE: Cozy Mystery PUBLICATION DATE: May 26, 2026 RATING: 2 stars. In a Nutshell: A contemporary cozy mystery with three kittens and a dash of magic. Okay-ish plot. Greatly cozy, minimally mystery. Multiple feline first-person POVs, which becomes confusing at times. Liberal in the use of adjectives, making the writing seem too indulgent in its descriptions. Interesting magical content and animals. Minimal characters, so guessing the culprit isn't tricky. Suspension of disbelief much needed, especially in the kitty content. I don’t like this genre but I read it for the kittens, so at least that angle was satisfying. Plot Preview: Mila is a decently talented magician who is hoping to sign a bigger contract after her current performance. Unfortunately for her, her almost-ex-boyfriend – who also doubles as her business manager – turns up dead at the end of that show, making Mila the prime suspect. Fortunately for her, the three abandoned kittens she rescued just hours...

AUTHOR: Melissa Ferguson NARRATOR: Karissa Vacker GENRE: Cozy Mystery + Romcom PUBLICATION DATE: February 17, 2026 RATING: 3.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A cozy mystery plus romcom. (Yes, you read that right.) Contains all the ingredients of both the genres, which works both for and against the book. Had the potential to be a book about books, but doesn’t deliver in that regard. Decent characters of varying ages, decent mystery, average romance. Still, works well if you want a light-hearted entertainer. Plot Preview: Twenty-seven-year-old Penelope aka Pip is happy in her high-stress job as a personal assistant to popular mystery author Hugh Griffin, and by extension, to the Magnificent Seven – a group of seven authors including Hugh who write in different genres but band together for cross-promotions and brainstorming. When Pip organises a book cruise featuring the Magnificent Seven and their fans, the last thing she expects is for one of the seven to be found murdered on the second day of...

AUTHOR & NARRATOR: Ron Marasco GENRE: Historical Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: January 31, 2017 RATING: 3.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A historical fiction set against the background of Jesus’ final days. Narrated from a dog’s perspective. The dog is adorable; the secondary characters are good. The story is easy in flow and not overly preachy. The writing is anachronous, so the historical feel gets diluted. Jesus doesn’t have an active role in this story, so don’t expect a story focussing on Him. Recommended as long as you can ignore the modernisms. Plot Preview: Seven-year-old Barley is a happy dog, enjoying life with his caring owners – a woodcarver Duv and his wife Ada. However, after life changes in a shocking way, Barley finds himself with a new master – Samid, a homeless man who indulges in petty crimes. From both owners and from the events unfurling around him connected to someone called the teacher, Barley learns the meaning of true love and forgiveness. The story comes to us in Bar...

AUTHOR: Katya Balen GENRE: Contemporary Literary Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: February 17, 2026 RATING: 3.75 stars. In a Nutshell: A contemporary literary fiction. Children's author Katya Balen's first adult fiction novel. Beautiful lyrical prose, melancholic plot, morbid lead character. Not an easy read as it's raw in its pain. A good option for those who like dark emotional stories and poetic writing. Major triggers for personal loss. Plot Preview: Anna, an author in her late thirties, has struggled to pen her second novel after a tragedy. Pressured by her deadline, she leaves London and goes to a remote cottage in rural England with no connectivity, hoping to find some inspiration. But in the marshes, an old secret resurfaces. Anna finds herself irresistibly drawn to that site, almost to the point of obsession. Can the past help Anna heal her present? The story comes to us in Anna's first-person perspective. PSA: Go in blind. The blurb is really accurate and tight-lipp...

AUTHOR: Erica Bauermeister GENRE: Contemporary Fiction. PUBLICATION DATE: May 2, 2023 RATING: 4.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A contemporary composite novel. One plot comprising multiple short stories. Character-oriented. Poignant, mellow, touching. An ode to books and everything bookish. After a long time, I had a soul-satisfying read. Definitely recommended. Plot Preview: 2010. Maine. Twenty-five-year-old Alice has always wanted to be a writer. But as she is inching towards her dream, a family tragedy throws her off her charted course. Her college professor encourages her to pour her emotions into writing. The result is a book that ends up finding its way to multiple people, and in many cases, altering at least a part of their lives directly or indirectly. This is a composite novel, where each chapter comes to us from a specific character’s point of view. We thus get nine stories written in the third-person perspective of various individuals, with the epilogue coming a full circle. One of ...

AUTHOR: Neil Sharpson ILLUSTRATOR: Dan Santat GENRE: Children's Picture Book PUBLICATION DATE: April 8, 2025 RATING: 4.25 stars. In a Nutshell: A hilarious picture book that comes with a strong warning: DON’T TRUST FISH! Comic and absurd all the way. Very clever too, though this might be appreciated more by adults. Not a book for those who want messages or morals but for those who want to laugh out loud. Much recommended. This is the debut picture book of Irish playwright and blogger Neil Sharpson. He seems to have made great use of his experience with theatre to amp up the drama in this humorous book. There’s no plot as such. The book has a bland start akin to a nature guide: offering information on how to recognise animals. It was so matter-of-fact that I wondered what its connection was with the title. And then came the fish and the vehement warnings! 😂 With several well-reasoned arguments, the narrator aims to convince us that we should NOT trust fish. I don’t want to get into...

AUTHOR: Vashti Harrison GENRE: Children's Picture Book PUBLICATION DATE: May 2, 2023 RATING: 4.5 stars In a Nutshell: An amazing picture book about the impact of words and the importance of self-acceptance. Amazing story, outstanding message, fabulous illustrations. Simple words but extraordinary impact. Much recommended. Plot Preview: A little girl was always praised for being big, but as she grows older, she realises ‘big’ isn't always a compliment. Having the bigger built affects many things in her life, and the constant comments from others about her bigness affects her mental health. But one day, after many tears, she understands how she can tackle the hurt. I absolutely loved this book! From the cover art, I could guess that it was a story about a plus-sized little girl, but I sure didn’t expect the topic to be handled so beautifully. Her journey from confidence to reluctance to dismay to action is penned so well! My favourite part of the story is that she never considers...

AUTHOR & NARRATOR: Bonnie Solomon SERIES: Pearly Gates, #2 GENRE: Fantasy PUBLICATION DATE: March 24, 2026 RATING: 3.5 stars. In a Nutshell: A contemporary fantasy combining the spirit world with the human world. Several returning characters, several new ones. Similar to the earlier book in plot structure, but somehow not as dramatic. The social commentary is a bit heavyhanded. The second book in the Pearly Gates series, and better if read in series order. Recommended to Pearly fans. Plot Preview: Pearly is now set in her role as a spirit guide, even though her new supervisor Mildreth disagrees. She has three new charges to take care of: sixty-five-year-old Lillian – a retired lawyer who's perennially grumpy after life dealt her a hard blow, seventy-year-old George – a friendly man who's worried about his closeted grandson, and twenty-five-year-old Raina – a product manager who can't figure out why she isn't inclined towards love and romance the way others are. In ...

AUTHOR: Lucy Barker GENRE: Historical Fiction PUBLICATION DATE: June 13, 2023 RATING: 3.5 stars In a Nutshell: A historical fiction about the rivalry between two mediums. Interesting characters. Excellent look at the prevalent obsession with spiritualism and seances in 1870s England. Great atmosphere. Slow pacing. Somewhat predictable plot. Goes a bit downhill in the second half. Inspired by real events. A good debut that could have been better but still entertains. Plot Preview: 1873. England. Mrs. Violet Wood, who is in her late thirties, is the most successful medium in London at present. Ambitious and diligent, she does her best to ensure that her patrons get the complete experience from her seances. She is aware of the fickleness of their nature, always wanting something newer and more exciting. Moreover, a newspaperman who specialises in spiritualist content is out to expose all fake mediums in order to retain the sanctity of spiritualism. This, combined with her increasing age ...