Book Review

Whistler

A Novel

by Ann Patchett, June 2, 2026, Harper, NetGalley

Adult fiction, literary fiction

Book description: When Daphne Fuller and her husband Jonathan visit the Metropolitan Museum of Art, they notice an older, white-haired gentleman following them. The man turns out to be Eddie Triplett, her former stepfather, who had been married to her mother for a little more than year when Daphne was nine. Now fifty-three, Daphne hasn’t seen Eddie for many years, not since the fateful event that changed the direction of both their lives.

My take on the book: This novel is about two young girls, Daphne age 9 and her younger sister Leda, who become attached to their mother's third husband, Eddie. When Eddie gets into a car accident that injures both himself and Daphne, the girls spend some time in the hospital - Daphne for her car injuries, and Leda for an almost burst appendix.

Eddie has disappeared when the girls get home from hospital. Their mother has sent him away, then divorced him. Daphne blames herself as the cause.

When Eddie appears again in their lives 44 years later and evidently sick, Daphne and Leda question him about the past and what really happened the night of the accident and afterwards.

The answers are surprising. The title of the novel is based on a story of Whistler, a horse who waits on the woman who was injured riding him and was thrown. Whistler stays with her until he can rescue her and take her home.

The girls, especially Daphne, never forgot that story of the horse and how Whistler influences their actions later in life is the crux of the novel.

Heart breaking, emotional, and full of human truths in relationships. This was an excellent read.

Books I'm Reading

Bearer of Bad News

A Novel

by Elisabeth Dini, April 29, 2026, Gallery Books

Women's fiction, mystery and thriller

I'm enjoying Lucy Rey's adventures in the Italian Dolomites, part of the Alps, as she searches for a woman to whom she will be the "bearer of bad news." Hired by another woman to find Coco, Lucy is to deliver the bad news on behalf of Coco's sister back home.

Years ago, I almost took a job teaching English as a Second Language in the Dolomites, but turned it down thinking it was too far away from London, where I was at the time. I was therefore eager to read this book set in the Dolomites, to see what adventures and experiences I might have missed!

The descriptions of the area do not disappoint. Makes me wonder: what if I had taken that job; would I have loved the experience of the Dolomites?

See my full goodreads review of Bearer of Bad News.

Before I Disappear

A Novel

by Cate Quinn

Nov. 10, 2026, SourceBooks, NetGalley

Book Description

From the acclaimed author of The Clinic and The Bridesmaid comes a pulse pounding thriller following a criminologist who wakes in a remote motel with no memory of how she got there, or the people who claim they will protect her.

Criminologist April Anderson wakes up in a remote motel with a new name, a new identity, and absolutely no memory of how she got there. Told she's under police protection as the victim of a disturbing crime, she'll have to stand as a witness on a major trial that she knows nothing about. April isn't sure who to trust — the cop guarding her from an unknown threat, or the fiancé secretly tracking her.

I enjoy this trope - amnesia in all its forms as an important part of a book plot.

My review: Criminologist April Anderson is a respected university lecturer, who is attacked, loses the memory of the attack and finds herself in a witness protection program while waiting to testify in a sensational mob related trial.

The amnesia section of the book is intriguing, especially as April tries to recall what happened to her and to make sense of the images that flash into her mind of a Cutting Room, where giant reels of thread whirr above, sending the threads down to the floor, covering her face and body.

The intrigue of the novel lies in April's attempts to piece her past together, her connection to the mob boss soon to be on trial, and her relationship with her police handler, the cop assigned to keep her hidden and safe in witness protection.

The ending is surprising, as April finds there is another, deeper side to her personality, one that does not fit in with her normal life as a university expert on crime.

Intriguing yet disturbing at the same time.

Not My Job Anymore

by Margie Benedict

May 1, 2026; Riveting Reads Inc., NetGalley

Description

“A sparkling later-in-life tale that spills over with wit, warmth, and humanity.” —Kirkus Reviews

What happens when Viola, a woman who has spent forty years being dutiful, decides she’s done surviving—and starts living dangerously instead?

Set against a Massachusetts beach town in winter, this novel is a sharp, darkly funny, emotionally charged story about marriage, betrayal, grief, desire, and reinvention at the moment life is supposed to be winding down.

The Quitters Club

A Novel

by Jessica Strawser

June 1, 2026, Lake Union Publishing, NetGalley

Description: a hopeful and empowering novel about the messy beauty of female friendship and the deep courage it takes to rebuild a life at any age.

When four ride-or-die friends reunite for a getaway, they’re desperate for a break, a chance to reconnect. But each is hiding a deeper reason why. Marie feels like an impostor teaching “How to Say No” seminars while her marriage has evolved into something she never said yes to. Brooke’s most heartfelt goal—motherhood—is proving out of reach. Lucy’s dream career has broken her spirit, possibly for good. And Collins feels trapped in grief by her late husband’s legacy.

All their lives, they’ve encouraged each other not to give up—but they can’t do this anymore. Now, at a breaking point, they make a pact: Quit. And help each other through the fallout.

What are you reading this week? Have you been surprised by books you forgot in your TBR pile?

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