Amy Caudill’s Reviews : Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect

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Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect by Benjamin Stevenson

Everyone on This Train Is a Suspect (Ernest Cunningham, #2) by

Benjamin Stevenson (Goodreads Author)

Amy Caudill‘s review

In this sequel to Everyone in My Family Has Killed Someone, the hero/survivor Ernest Cunningham has turned the trauma from the first installment into a book. As the novel opens, he is about to board “The Ghan,” Australia’s modern day answer to the Orient Express for a writer’s festival.

From the beginning of the story, Ernest is plagued with survivor’s guilt and feelings of inadequacy, even as he tries to romance his fellow survivor, the owner of the ski resort, Juliette. Ernest is also feeling the pressure to produce a new book by his publisher and agent Simone, who is on the train for her own reasons.


In an attempt to find inspiration, Ernest begins observing and investigating events that happen on board the train. Of course, there is a murder, multiple suspects and red herrings as the plot becomes more convoluted. A second murder, and rival authors who are also trying to capitalize on the events for their future publications, leads to Ernest being unsure if anyone is innocent, and who could he possibly trust to help solve this mystery that is stranger than fiction.


Author Benjamin Stevenson writes this series in the first person, so most of the story is told through Ernest’s eyes, although there are parts where he deviates to another character. Ernest is not a detective, per say, but his former career was writing books on how to write mystery stories, so he uses his dubious skills, obtained from studying golden age masters of the craft, like Agatha Christie, to assist and lead him forward.


This somewhat unique point of view from the main character allows him to address the fourth wall, i.e. the reader as he seemingly gives away plot points long before they happen, all the while surprising the reader with the twists the story actually takes. These interludes are both humorous and slightly irreverent, showing the author enjoys playing with his characters as much as this reader enjoys his story.


I award this book five stars, and look forward to reading the next installment in the series.

Amy Caudill’s Reviews : Angel of Vengeance

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Angel of Vengeance by Douglas Preston

Angel of Vengeance (Pendergast, #22) by Douglas Preston (Goodreads Author), Lincoln Child

Amy Caudill‘s review

Aug 26, 2025

A desperate plan, a combination of forces by former enemies, and a literal world-bending adventure awaits our heroes as they face off against the ultimate antagonist-Pendergast’s serial killer ancestor, Dr. Enoch Leng.


This latest novel from authors Douglas Preston and Lincoln Child concludes what could be considered another unofficial trilogy in the long-term series. I previously reviewed the first book of this trilogy, Bloodless, on Goodreads and my blog, but have yet to mention the second book on-line. However, since these three are so interrelated, I feel I should discuss the three books together.


In Bloodless, Aloysius Pendergast discovers a machine that creates gateways between dimensions, allowing travelers to move between worlds that are either very different or very similar to our own. Constance Greene uses the machine to travel to a world that is like our own only still in the Victorian era, allowing her to stop Leng from the ghastly experiments that killed her sister and made Constance herself virtually immortal. However, the machine breaks down after her transport and she is stranded there.


Pendergast is devastated at her loss, because he is only now realizing that he feels more for Constance than a ward, and actually could have a relationship with her. The early part of The Cabinet of Dr. Leng focuses on the unconventional steps Pendergast, with the help of D’Agosta and Procter, take to bring the machine back on-line and save Constance from herself.


Long term readers of the series will recognize the name and situation of the second book, The Cabinet of Dr. Leng, from an earlier book in the series , The Cabinet of Curiosities, although the newer book is set mostly in the past and in a slightly alternate dimension.


Despite their best intentions, Pendergast and D’Agosta’s arrival in alternate Victorian era New York creates more harm than good, and Constance quickly points out to them that she did not want or need their help. Whether that was true is academic, because Leng becomes aware of the dimensional travelers’ existence, and in the beginning of Angel of Vengeance he has gained the upper hand by purportedly killing Constance’s older sister and kidnapping the younger version of herself.


The last book continues the story with the arrival of Pendergast’s younger brother, Diogenes, who has a checkered past with the rest of the group but who allies himself with them to bring down Leng. The group of heroes, determined to save Mary Greene and “Binky,” the young Constance, as well as their brother Joe, join forces to concoct a plan that will also prevent Leng from gaining any more knowledge or access to the dimensional gate.


While some of the Pendergast books could be considered stand-alone, I would caution new readers to this series to not start with any of the books I have mentioned here, because while they may enjoy the story there is far too much history, and too many prior situations that would require explanation for complete understanding.


However, this book series is outstanding and the latest offering continues that trend. I award it five stars and recommend the series to fans of detective fiction, actions stories, and those who enjoy stories with Victorian and Gothic and paranormal elements. Considering the next book in the series, which is due out in January, is a flashback to Pendergast’s first case, I only hope that the forward adventures of our heroes are not at an end.

Amy Caudill’s Reviews : The Hanging Tree

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The Hanging Tree by Irina Shapiro

The Hanging Tree (Nicole Rayburn #1) by Irina Shapiro (Goodreads Author)

Amy Caudill‘s review

When Nicole checks into an isolated old mansion for a writer’s retreat, she has no idea she will be drawn into the true story of a local legend. Alys Bailey may or may not have been a witch, depending on the definition of such in the 1600’s, but she was most probably hanged on a centuries-old tree that overlooks the current breakfast room of the manor. The mystery of this character inspires Nicole, as does the reluctance of the owners and the locals to speak of her.


Nicole soon forms a partnership with Kyle, a fellow writer, who volunteers his time to assist with her research. As the two grow closer, Nicole learns he has secrets of his own.


This is the first book I have read by author Irina Shapiro, and I found her method of alternating between chapters of the present and the past more interesting than frustrating. She skillfully weaves between the two separate stories, while leaving the reader wanting more.


My only complaint with this novel was that there were several elements introduced into the story the author chose not to capitalize on. The current owners of the manor may or may not have acquired the home by unscrupulous means, a suspicion led by the fact there is no record of Lisa Prentiss in the family genealogy on the grounds. The manor lies next to a man-made lake created by flooding an ancient town, and only the bell tower of the church is visible above the surface of the water. I feel Shapiro could have done so much more with these plot points, but they are relegated to the status of red herrings.


Meanwhile, the reader is lead to see that the real villain of the historic story is not the accused witch but the lady of the manor. The final twists are certainly unexpected, and in my opinion make up for any disappointments with the direction the story takes.


I award this story four stars, and will most likely read more of this author’s work. I recommend this to fans of historical romantic mysteries.

Amy Caudill’s Reviews : Moriarty

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Moriarty by Anthony Horowitz

Moriarty (Horowitz’s Holmes, #2) by Anthony Horowitz (Goodreads Author)

Amy Caudill‘s review

Once again, modern author Anthony Horowitz has stepped into the shoes of Arthur Conan Doyle, with the full blessing of the latter’s estate, and produced a new Sherlock Holmes era story. This installment picks up from the end of Doyle’s “The Final Problem,” a short story which details the demise Sherlock along with his arch enemy.


The principals, Watson and Holmes, are not actually present in this story, but only mentioned in passing. However, to compensate for the lack of our favorite detective duo, we are introduced to Detective Inspector Athelney Jones, of Scotland Yard, who actually appeared in at least one other Holmes’ story; and his new friend and cohort, Pinkerton agent Frederick Chase.


The two join forces to find a new criminal mastermind, Clarence Devereux, who reputedly intended to align with Moriarty, and set up shop in London. Chase is familiar with some of Devereux’s henchmen, while Jones has studied Holmes’ methods and believes he is ready to apply his techniques to finding this new threat.


The detectives chase clues all over Europe before returning to London to face off against ruthless gangsters and a criminal network that seems to be one step ahead of them. In the end, they finally face off to the real threat, only for one of the protagonists to realize the enemy wears a familiar face. Spoilers: there is no indication until nearly the end of the story, but the reader has been following an unreliable narrator all along.


The final twist was shocking, but made the entire novel, already a fascinating read, truly worthwhile. Horowitz’s characters seamlessly fit into the world of Victorian London and Baker Street in Doyle’s universe. I award this novel five stars, and hope that Horowitz will find time to venture into that world again in the future.

Amy Caudill’s Reviews : Naked Came the Phoenix

Book Reviews, murder mystery, strong female characters
Naked Came the Phoenix by Marcia Talley

Naked Came the Phoenix by Marcia Talley (Goodreads Author) (Editor),

Nevada Barr, Nancy Pickard, J.A. Jance (Goodreads Author), Lisa Scottoline (Goodreads Author), Anne Perry, Mary O’Shaughnessy, Val McDermid,more…

Amy Caudill‘s review

From some of the modern queens of mystery, comes this entertaining tale of family lost and found, treachery, blackmail, and murder. Caroline and her mother Hilda are visiting the exclusive Phoenix spa, a place where the rich and famous come to hide while being alternately pampered and starved in the name of beauty and relaxation.


Caroline is determined to enjoy this break, despite her mother’s predilections for cruelty and control, when she encounters a dead body in the spa’s mud baths, the owner of the spa. This proves to be only the first of several as a number of guests, all with mysterious links to each other and the late owner, appear to be murdered by an unknown assailant, who must be hiding at the isolated resort.


The local police do their best, but the wealthy guests all have lawyers to impede the investigation. Hilda reveals that she has through covert means become the primary owner of the Phoenix, and also that the previous owner had blackmailed her over a child she gave up for adoption before Caroline’s birth.


The novel contains numerous red herrings as different contributors hint who could possibly be Caroline’s lost sibling. The story flows surprisingly well considering each chapter is written by a different author. Overall, the effect is of an engaging, sometimes shocking mystery, with a couple of twists this reader couldn’t have predicted.


I enjoyed this short novella very much, and recommend it to fans of the genre at large as well as any of the included authors. I award it four stars.

Amy Caudill’s Reviews : Extinction

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Extinction by Douglas Preston

Extinction by Douglas Preston (Goodreads Author)

Amy Caudill‘s review

A technological breakthrough runs amok in this new novel by author Douglas Preston. A group of scientists have “DE-extincted” several species of dinosaurs, aka Jurassic Park, and set them up in a nature preserve in the Colorado wilderness.


When a wealthy couple disappear deep in the wilderness of the preserve, the reader is left wondering momentarily if the culprits are animal or human, at least from the short early chapters I read before the book’s official release. However, after getting a copy of the entire book I was able to quickly realize the dinosaurs were innocent. Instead, a group of unknown size had somehow infiltrated the park, a group that had insider knowledge of the security, the routines, and the hidden old mining areas underneath the park.


As Colorado Bureau of Investigation Special Agent Frankie Cash and Sheriff Jim Colcord are forced to work together to find the missing couple, they quickly discover clues to far more sinister deeds. The kidnappers have left behind videos and evidence they wanted to have discovered-evidence of murder, cannibalism, and strange, primitive rites conducted under their noses. Who are the members of this group? How are they eluding the security of the park and the manhunt of combined forces of CBI and police investigators?


Forced to work under close scrutiny of the press, the administration of the park who are being evasive, the billionaire father of one of the victims who is outraged but also hiding information, as well as the CBI and the governor; Cash and Colcord are only left with more questions and very few answers. Finally they resort to underhanded means to get inside the laboratories where the dinosaurs are made. Once there, they discover that the scientists bred more than dinosaurs.


The group of scientists actually De-extincted one of humanities’ ancient rivals, a rival species driven into extinction by homo sapiens. The newly resurrected race escape the control of the scientists, and are out for revenge. Their goal- extinction of the human race.


I was shocked at the big twist in this book; I definitely did not predict the direction this story would take. That being said, I believe it was handled in a manner that was all too plausible. Preston has a history of writing stories where technology gets the better of its inventors and this is just the latest example of his writing style. What at first seems like a re-write of Jurasssic Park turned out to be so much more, and I award this novel 5 stars.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

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Photo by Jill Wellington on Pexels.com

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to one and all! This is the time of year many of will choose to look back on the year we’ve had, sometimes with hope, sometimes with regrets about things we’ve done or haven’t done, and anticipations either fulfilled or still unfulfilled. For my family, we had our celebration a little early this year, because we chose to celebrate when we could all be together.
Still, I’m looking for to a break from my day job, and another celebration with family who are still local and can come to share a meal, and just relax in each other’s company. This year I am trying to focus on not what I should do, but rather what I want to do, and cherry-picking the holiday tasks and traditions that are most important to me and my loved ones.
I hope each of you has an enjoyable holiday, however you choose to spend it, and in the company of your preference. May we all know a moment of peace as we prepare ourselves for the coming year!

Amy

Amy Caudill’s Reviews : Never Lie

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Never Lie by Freida McFadden

Never Lie by Freida McFadden (Goodreads Author)

Amy Caudill‘s review

Nov 03, 2024

I honestly can’t say I remember when I picked up a copy of this book, but I will say I will be reading more from this author, assuming my heart can handle it.  Freida McFadden’s work contained shocking twists near the end, and they just kept coming.  

What begins as a seemingly run-of-the-mill plot, with a couple stranded at an isolated country home during a blizzard, leads the reader on a merry chase with one red herring of an antagonist through the majority of the book.  Tricia and Ethan seem like a happily married newly wed couple, but why are they keeping secrets from each other, and why are they afraid of how the other will react when they are revealed? From the very beginning some of their interactions seem off, though I only realized this in hindsight.

The home they find themselves in is the former abode of Dr. Adrienne Hale, a psychiatrist and bestselling author who disappeared under mysterious circumstances three years prior.  Will their unintended stay reveal clues to the doctor’s disappearance, and is she really the innocent victim?

Tricia finds a secret room where the good doctor kept cassette tapes of all her sessions with her patients, and surreptitiously starts to listen to them to pass the time, and because she can’t contain her curiosity.  Meanwhile, Ethan disappears somewhere upstairs to “work” remotely, and the reader is left wondering about the identity of one particular patient, who was blackmailing Dr. Hale.  

The chapters with Tricia and Ethan are interspersed with those of Adrienne, prior to her disappearance, and the audience learns of the same events from her point of view.  While Adrienne seemingly believes she does a lot of good, it is amazing the lengths she will go to to keep her secrets; and the reader has to wonder exactly what happened to her, and who caused it, which is only revealed near the end.  

The big question posed by this story; is anyone truly innocent?  Without revealing any more spoilers, I will say the conclusion shocked me.

This is an excellent psychological thriller and I would recommend it to any fans of the genre. I give this story five stars.

Amy Caudill’s Reviews : Sherlock Holmes and the Highgate Horrors

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Sherlock Holmes and the Highgate Horrors by James Lovegrove

Sherlock Holmes and the Highgate Horrors by James Lovegrove

Amy Caudill‘s review

What a good book to read to start off the spooky season!  This fourth volume in the series by James Lovegrove combines the classic characters of Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes with the monsters of H.P. Lovecraft to weave a tale that brings our heroes into a secret war against alien monstrosities that not only influence our world from afar, but now are found to walk among us.

This novel, presented as sort of an addendum to the three prior, skillfully takes the original characters of Holmes and Watson, as well of some of the original author’s specific cases, and weaves into to them a secret subtext that Watson, as the “author” whose works appeared in The Strand, chose to keep hidden from the public.  Lovegrove, as the “heir” to these secret case notes, has decided the time is right to reveal what really happened behind the scenes.

This particular volume delineates happenings from not only earlier cases, but also particulars at the end of Holmes and Watsons’ careers and lives.  For instance, the “real” reason Holmes retired to the country, and what “really” happened to Irene Adler.  Throughout, the reader is treated to multiple cases where the duo fights against the hordes of the Outer Gods and worshippers of The Great Old Ones, so named from Lovecraft’s work. 

Now, though, it appears a cabal of humans is assisting the otherworldly creatures in conquering a much nearer and dearer target, Earth itself.  Why have the invaders come to Earth, despite their different physiology and inability to survive under Earth’s atmosphere and gravity?  The reason is not revealed till deep in the text and is shocking in its insidiousness and desperation.  The culmination of the final story shows links between all the cases and reveals the ultimate plot of the aliens, who are no longer united in their goals.

This book is a treat for fans of the original works of classic authors, Conan Doyle, and Lovecraft, and combines their characters in a plausible way that can delight a whole new generation of readers.  Fans of the series’ will easily recognize specifics, but can also enjoy the new stories, like that rare well-written piece of fan fiction with an original plot.  I award Lovegrove four stars and recommend this volume to fans of Holmes, Cthulhu, classic mystery and horror books.

Amy Caudill’s Reviews : Dead Man’s Hand

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Dead Man's Hand by James J. Butcher

Dead Man’s Hand (The Unorthodox Chronicles, #1) by James J. Butcher

Amy Caudill‘s review 

Two unlikely allies are pitted against a corrupt bureaucracy in the first volume of The Unorthodox Chronicles by James J. Butcher.

I adore the Dresden Files, written by the father of this author, so I wanted to give this newer series a chance.  To make sure I was unbiased, I did not read anything about this book or series before opening the first chapter.  I found myself in a familiar, yet different, setting to the world occupied by Harry Dresden. 

To be honest, I did not much like one of the protagonists in the beginning.  We are first introduced to Mayflower, a retired, bitter, drunken recluse who once was a legendary Hunter for the Bureau of Unorthodox affairs, which manages magical beings and creatures in the world.  He seemed to have potential as a player in the story, but we are abruptly switched from him to this other, younger, more pathetic seeming character, Grimsby. 

Grimsby is a failed witch, as all magic users are called here, but more than that he has an outlook of grim hopelessness in his situation (pun intended).  He has just recently had his life goal, becoming an Auditor for the Bureau, ripped from him, but he has given up on everyone and everything.  He seems to be drowning in a mundane job going nowhere and no ambitions for moving forward or making any kind of life at all.  Of course, in interior dialogue with Grimsby we learn he had no confidence or ambition in his prior training either; it seems he has only gone through the motions for most of his life.

Grimsby and Mayflower first cross path when the former is implicated in the death of his former magical mentor, who was previously the latter’s partner.  Mayflower has to decide if this cowardly being could possibly have murdered the most powerful witch to exist, or if he is being framed.  The two are drawn together by a need to find answers and a mutual distrust of the magical authorities.

Their partnership seems unlikely but Mayflower’s sense of duty and morality forces him to keep the kid safe.  Meanwhile, Grimsby is mainly terrified by the events around him and falls victim to the first stirrings of hope to improve his situation, which will betray his new ally.

Before the end, Grimsby will finally shed his self-doubt, and rise the occasion, but there are numerous hurdles in the way of actual success, including a corrupt bureaucrat who craves the artifact that only Grimsby and Mayflower, working together, have a chance of recovering.

This book, which does show some evidence of urban fantasy world building, really lacks in showing its setting.  I suppose that is a comparison to Jim Butcher, whose Dresden series takes place mostly in and around Chicago, which the author brought to life while laying out his plots.  In contrast, The Unorthodox Chronicles take place in Boston, but the only location described in detail is the Chucky Cheese-style restaurant where Grimsby works. 

The plot is a little thinner than I’d like, but does contain a number of twists to keep the reader on his or her toes.  I can see potential in the book, I just hope the other (currently two) volumes build on what is already there and give more background about the characters and the setting.  This is a solid debut, and I give it three stars.