Beach Club Bloodshed by Christine Wellert (Pub. Date 08/14/25)

 

Summer Jenkins day just went from bad to a downright dumpster fire.

First, there’s the dead body covered in stab wounds. Then, she finds out her best friend Lani’s missing and considered a person of interest in the murder.

With Lani MIA, everyone is looking to Summer for answers, including one hot hunk of a detective, Cole Peterson.

Detective Hottie, uh, Peterson, is a complication Summer doesn’t need right now. He senses Summer’s hiding something behind those pretty blue eyes, but when she becomes a victim of a hit and run, all of his protective instincts emerge as Summer gets drawn farther into the web of intrigue.

As the accidents start to pile up, Summer takes matters into her own hands and lands herself in hot water with a Yakuza boss, a Russian oligarch, and Auntie Miriam.

She can’t decide who’s scarier…

With the stunning backdrop of the Big Island’s Kohala Coast and a cast of quirky characters, this story is anything but a typical murder mystery.

Beach Club Bloodshed will keep you on the edge of your seat as Summer and her friends race against time to solve the murder and clear their names.

But with danger lurking around every corner and unexpected twists at every turn, will they be able to crack the case before it's too late? - christinewellert.com

 

This cozy beach mystery was a great little escape.  It’s a relaxing and fun read with some zany characters, especially the pets and a smattering of romance.  The ending sets things up for future installments and I look forward to another chance to hang with Summer and the gang.

Thank you to the author, Christine Wellert and Tales & Teacups for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. 

 

 

Dinner for Vampires by Bethany Joy Lenz

 

In the early 2000s, after years of hard work and determination to break through as an actor, Bethany Joy Lenz was finally cast as one of the leads on the hit drama One Tree Hill. Her acting career was set to soar, but her personal life was beginning to unravel in ways her fans could never imagine. Unknown to the millions of viewers and even her costars, Lenz led a secret double life within a cult.

As an only child seeking belonging, Lenz thought she found a safe haven in a Bible study group with fellow Hollywood creatives. However, the group morphed into something more sinister—a web of manipulation and fear under the guise of a church covenant called The Big House Family. Piece by piece, Lenz surrendered her autonomy, eventually moving to the Family’s Pacific Northwest compound overseen by a domineering minister who convinced her to marry his son and secretly drained millions from her TV income without her knowledge. Family “minders” assigned to her on set, “Maoist struggle session”—inspired meetings in the basement of a filthy house, and regular counseling with “Leadership” were just part of the tactics used to keep her loyal.

Only when she became a mother did Lenz find the courage to escape and spare her child from a similar fate. After nearly a decade (and with the unlikely help from a devoted One Tree Hill fan), she broke free from the family’s grip, beginning her healing journey from deep trauma that reshaped her faith and identity. - Simon & Schuster

I picked up this book despite not knowing much about Bethany Joy Lenz.  I never saw an episode of One Tree Hill and my only knowledge of it comes from gag clips shown on The Soup in the early 00s.  My only frame of reference for her was Savoring Paris, a Hallmark movie from last summer that was really cute.  I picked up Dinner for Vampires because I am fascinated by cults and the hows and whys someone falls into them and I was curious about life working on a hit television show.  Fortunately, this memoir was interesting even as a non-fan of Ms. Lenz and is a great example of how cults can take members in slowly then quickly manipulate, gaslight and subvert their personal beliefs.  Her memoir focuses heavily on her years in the cult and the losses she suffered as a result as well her hard won and triumphant escape.  Her memoir though is light on behind the scenes stories from her days on One Tree Hill which I imagine may disappoint some of those fans but perhaps she doesn’t have many stories to tell there as her personal life was overtaken by her years in the cult.  Overall Dinner for Vampires was a well-written and interesting memoir that sheds light on a smaller lesser known cult.

I received my copy of Dinner for Vampires through my local library.  You can pick yours up there or at your favorite local book store or online shop. You can also visit the publisher link above for more information.  

 

 

We Are All Guilty Here by Karin Slaughter - Release Date 08/12/25

 

Welcome to North Falls—a small town where everyone knows everyone. Or so they think.

Until the night of the fireworks. When two teenage girls vanish, and the town ignites.

For Officer Emmy Clifton, it’s personal. She turned away when her best friend's daughter needed help—and now she must bring her home.

But as Emmy combs through the puzzle the girls left behind, she realizes she never really knew them. Nobody did.

Every teenage girl has secrets. But who would kill for them? And what else is the town hiding? HarperCollins.com

This is the first installment in Karin Slaughter’s new North Falls series and she quickly draws you into Officer Emmy Clifton’s world in this rural small-town in Atlanta.  I am a huge fan of her Will Trent series and wasn’t sure I was ready for a new protagonist, but I was instantly taken with Officer Emmy Clifton and can’t wait for the next installment.  Slaughter is a master at creating well-developed characters who are both loveable and flawed as well as her world building but her books aren’t for the faint of heart as she doesn’t hold back in the descriptions of the brutalities of crime.  We Are All Guilty Here is a shining example of Slaughter’s talents sure to please her many fans and new readers alike.

We Are All Guilty Here will be released on Tuesday 08/12/2025 but you can pre-order now at your local book store.  I was fortunate enough to win my Advanced Reader Copy through Booktrovert by Netgalley.  Visit their site for more information on how you too can win early releases of new books.  For more information on Karin Slaughter and her book tour, visit her website.   

 

HarperCollins.comHarperCollins.com