Kelly Rimmer’s The Story Keeper

I’m WAY early on this one since it releases in July 2026, but I’ve recently had the opportunity (through Net Galley) to listen to the audiobook on this title. I love Kelly Rimmer’s writing and this was a family epic – focusing on a house in Australia and the family that lived there through the years. There’s a story within a story here, too.

Here’s the scoop:

“Kelly Rimmer is at her most skillful here… An emotional, haunting tale.” —Julia Kelly, internationally bestselling author of The Dressmakers of London

In the aftermath of a tumultuous year, Fiona Winslow finds solace in the decaying grandeur of Wurimbirra, the rambling family estate she once called home. Intent on restoring it, she discovers the keys to more than just the dilapidated mansion—beneath the crumbling plaster and dust are secrets that have been buried for a generation.

When a curious book, The Midnight Estate, catches her attention in her late uncle’s library, Fiona is plunged into a tale that mirrors her own—a story of love, loss and betrayal. But as the lines between fiction and reality blur, Fiona must ask herself: Is the true mystery the one hidden within the walls of her ancestral home, or is it within the pages of a book that chose her as much as she chose it?

Told in a dual narrative and set against the Gothic backdrop of Wurimbirra, Kelly Rimmer, bestselling author of The Things We Cannot Say, weaves an intricate and compelling tale, inviting readers into the heart of a family’s deepest secrets with an absorbing book-within-a-book mystery.

“Kelly Rimmer always delivers a poignant story with real characters who lodge themselves in your heart.” —New York Times bestselling author Madeline Martin

Siho Ellsmore as the narrator does an excellent job of providing the nuances needed for each character, as well as the different accents.

You can pre-order this mesmerizing title now for next summer’s release.

Harper-Collins Blog Tour for Grave Birds by Dana Elmendorf

Today I’m part of the Summer Blog Tour for Grave Birds by Dana Elmendorf. This was an atmospheric, Southern Gothic novel, focusing on a young girl who can communicate with “grave birds” – birds who live in graveyards and can tell the tales of those who have died. It was a weirdly creepy and intriguing read! The writing was quite good and if you like this genre – think Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil – you should pick this one up.

Thank you for my copy and for making me part of the tour!

Here’s the scoop:

Title: Grave Birds

Author: Dana Elmendorf

Publication Date: July 1, 2025

ISBN: 9780778387473

Format: Hardcover

Publisher: Harlequin Trade Publishing / MIRA

Price $28.99

Buy Links: NOT affiliated with BBNB

HarperCollins: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/grave-birds-dana-elmendorf 

BookShop.org: https://bookshop.org/p/books/grave-birds-original-dana-elmendorf/21769936

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/grave-birds-dana-elmendorf/1146225172 

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Grave-Birds-Novel-Dana-Elmendorf/dp/077838747X 

Social Links:

Author Website: https://www.danaelmendorf.com/p/home.html 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/danaelmendorf/ 

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DanaElmendorfAuthor/ 

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/danaelmendorf 

Book Summary: 

Grave birds haunt the cemeteries of Hawthorne, South Carolina, where Spanish moss drips from the trees and Southern charm hides ugly lies. Hollis Sutherland never knew these unique birds existed, not until she died and was brought back to life. The ghostly birds are manifestations of the dead’s unfinished business, and they know Hollis and her uncanny gift can set them free.

When a mysterious bachelor wanders into the small town, bizarre events begin to plague its wealthiest citizens—blood drips from dogwood blossoms, flocks of birds crash into houses, fire tornadoes descend from the sky. Hollis knows these are the omens her grandfather warned about, announcing the devil’s return. But despite Cain Landry’s eerie presence and the plague that has followed him, his handsome face and wicked charm win over the townsfolk. Even Hollis falls under his spell as they grow closer.

That is, until lies about the town’s past start to surface. The grave birds begin to show Hollis the dead’s ugly deeds from some twenty-five years ago and the horrible things people did to gain their wealth. Hollis can’t decide if Cain is some immortal hand of God, there to expose their sins, or if he’s a devil there to ruin them all. Either way, she’s determined to save her town and the people in it, whatever it takes.

Author Bio:

Dana Elmendorf was born and raised in small town in Tennessee. She now lives in Southern California with her husband, two boys and two dogs. When she isn’t exercising, she can be found geeking out with Mother Nature. After four years of college and an assortment of jobs, she wrote a contemporary YA novel and an adult fantasy.

Harper- Collins HTP Books Blog Tour for Their Monstrous Hearts by Yigit Turhan

Wow – this was a story that was a bit different from what I was expecting. I was expecting magical realism – which there is – but it also is gothic horror and creepy and gave me nightmares! There is a slow burn to this story, which is beautifully written. It starts slow – almost too slow for me (I kept putting it down and reading something else) but then it picks up in the last half and is sort of like an out of control roller coaster. There is a story within a story here, and I can see that this might not be a title for everyone (but what is??), but it definitely is not a book that you will soon forget once you finish it!

Thank you for my copy and for making me part of the tour!

THEIR MONSTROUS HEARTS

Author: Yigit Turhan

Publication Date: April 8, 2025

ISBN: 9780778368274

Format: Hardcover

Publisher: Harlequin Trade Publishing / MIRA

Price $28.99

Buy Links: Not affiliated with BBNB

HarperCollins: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/their-monstrous-hearts-yigit-turhan 

BookShop.org: https://bookshop.org/p/books/their-monstrous-hearts-original-yigit-turhan/21435391

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/their-monstrous-hearts-yigit-turhan/1145530543 

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Their-Monstrous-Hearts-timeline-suspenseful/dp/0778368270 

Social Links:

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/list/13825951.Yi_it_Turhan 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yigit/?hl=en 

Book Summary: 

A haunting novel about the boundaries people will cross to keep their dreams alive.

A mysterious stranger shows up at Riccardo’s apartment with some news: his grandmother Perihan has died, and Riccardo has inherited her villa in Milan along with her famed butterfly collection.

The struggling writer is out of options. He’s hoping the change of scenery in Milan will inspire him, and maybe there will be some money to keep him afloat. But Perihan’s house isn’t as opulent as he remembers. The butterflies pinned in their glass cases seem more ominous than artful. Perihan’s group of mysterious old friends is constantly lurking. And there’s something wrong in the greenhouse.

As Riccardo explores the decrepit estate, he stumbles upon Perihan’s diary, which might hold the key to her mysterious death. Or at least give him the inspiration he needs to finish his manuscript.

But he might not survive long enough to write it.

Author Bio:

Yigit Turhan was born in Ankara, Turkey. A lifelong reader, he owes his love of horror to his grandmother and the films she shared with him. He has previously published a horror novel in Turkish. He lives in Milan, Italy, where he holds a C-suite role at a renowned fashion house. This is his English-language debut.

Review: Bellman and Black by Diane Setterfield

Well – where do I start with this one? I loved Diane Setterfield’s THIRTEENTH TALE, so I was very excited to get BELLMAN AND BLACK from Net Galley. This is the story of William Bellman, who as a boy kills a rook with a stone — and rooks and this act seem to follow him throughout his life (England – about a hundred or more years ago). Bellman grows up to run a mill and has a business in mourning and funerals. He has so much loss in his life, it turns him inward. “Black” is his mysterious business partner.

So here’s the thing — I eagerly read the first half of this book, and then it felt like it stalled to me. I had to force myself again and again to return to it to finish the second half (I read it on Kindle, but I see it has just over 300 pages – certainly not a tome). I found it slow and fairly uneventful, but all the time I had the feeling that I wasn’t thinking about this book in the right way. It felt like an allegory – or a fable – or something that I just wasn’t getting. The writing reminded me a bit of Nathaniel Hawthorne or some other stark, 19th century writer. I wanted so much to like this book, this character, this story, but instead it felt a bit like a penance to read it. I kept hoping to have an epiphany that never occurred.

I’d be so curious (and grateful) to hear from others who have read it! Setterfield is an excellent writer, so if this is your only exposure to her, you might want to read THE THIRTEENTH TALE also.

Thanks, Net Galley for my copy.