I’ve never done a monthly book wrap up, but I think that might be a good way to highlight some of the books I read that I mention on Instagram or Goodreads, but don’t always write a full standalone review for over here at Hidden Staircase. A lot of other bloggers I follow do the monthly wrap up. I’m going to give that a try this year and see how it goes. Stay tuned.

January Reads

I’ve blogged reviews for two book ARCs I received, but I actually finished those at the very (very!) end of December so they aren’t counting in this monthly wrap up. Shattered Justice. and Please See Us. I actually finished these four books this month (and looking back they are all VERY different reads):

Murder in Cherry Hills by Paige Sleuth. 3/5 Stairs. (Cozy Mystery) I read this as part of the 2020 Cozy Mystery Challenge over on Facebook. They challenge you to read their four choices each month, I just read this one. It was a fast read, I liked the characters.
The Phantom Prince by Elizabeth Kendall. 3/5 Stairs. (True Crime Memoir) You can see my full review over at Goodreads. It’s true crime so I thought I was going to write a short review but it turns out I had a lot to say. LOL. This book is probably a must-read for true crime fanatics and those still interested in Ted Bundy. However, if you are not into the true crime genre, I don’t think this book will resonate with you.
Love Lettering by Kate Clayborn. 4/5 Stairs. (Contemporary Romance) A fun romance that centers around the theme of seeing the signs around us. Both literal and figurative signs. This story also felt like a love letter to New York City. I found the lettering piece of the novel to be a very interesting component to the story, adding a lot of insight into Meg’s character. And I definitely swoonshed for Meg and Reid, and cheered for them throughout the novel. A fun read.
The Death of Mrs. Westaway by Ruth Ware. 4.5/5 Stairs. (Thriller) I listened to this one. This was a great mystery, descriptive and atmospheric. At times times it even felt spooky. Not quite 5 stars for me as it took a while to get going, but I was thoroughly invested by the time Hal reached the gloomy Trepassen house and all of it’s secrets.

In Progress (Started in January)

I tend to read a lot of books in parallel. (A lot!) As a result, sometimes some of them get pushed aside for others and I may not get them finished in a timely manner. Here are a few currently in progress that I started in January.