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Book Review: The Last Room on the Left by Leah Konen

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Expected publication January 14, 2025, by G.P. Putnam’s Sons

The Last Room on the Left is a darkly woven philological thriller that takes place in the mountains of the Catskills in New York during the winter and presents the reader with an immensely isolated, and claustrophobic setting.

The story is told in Kerry’s, Siobhan’s, and Allison’s point of view. Kerry- whose husband has left her because of her drinking problems and Kerry needing to finish writing a book due to a deadline- takes a job as caretaker at a motel. When she arrives, almost immediately, bizarre and creepy things start to happen. Not only that, she also discovers a dead and frozen body in the snow, and the mystery of who the victim is and what happened, begins to take shape, and unfold in the most astonishing way.

The reader quickly begins to doubt Kerry’s perspective due to alcohol and pills in the mix. As the story further escalates, all three of the women end up heavily drinking while emotions are running high. This highly charged element makes an interesting mix of dysfunction and drama among them to say the least.

The whole “feminist take on The Shining” by Stephen King mention as a “praiseworthy” comparison in the description of this book is quite a stretch. I did not see any sense of true feminism in this story whatsoever. If anything, there are few thoughts on two of the white males from two of the female’s perspective that are straight up assumptions at best. Not sure what Konen was trying to achieve with this. As for the comparison to “The Shining”, it isn’t in the least bit like it. There are literally zero supernatural elements, nor are the characters going totally mental in this story. Harsh, I know, but it is too glaring for me not to point out.

Despite my criticisms, Konen is a great storyteller, and I enjoyed this fast pace physiological thriller. There are a lot of twists and turns that leave the reader guessing as to what is really going on and there is suspense in all the right places. Everyone is a suspect and Konen did a terrific job in portraying that. An atmospheric, chilling and a perfect read to hunker down with during the winter season. 

I’ve rated this book 3 stars.

Stephanie

I obtained an ARC from the Publishers for an honest review. 

Side bar: In the beginning of November of last year, I blogged about differentiating between red herrings and explicit content for shock value or book sales in mystery-thrillers. I use this book as an example. You may want to check it out for further information about my thoughts on this book: Link HERE or you can search the title of the post:  Reader’s Log 023: Current Read and Difficult Passages

Book description from goodreads:

The caretaker at an isolated mountain hotel finds herself fighting for her life—and sanity—in this “twisty, addictive, feminist take on The Shining” (Andrea Bartz).

Kerry’s life is in shambles: Her husband has left her, her drinking habit has officially become a problem, and though the deadline for her big book deal—the one that was supposed to change everything—is looming, she can’t write a word. When she sees an ad for a caretaker position at a revitalized roadside motel in the Catskills, she jumps at the chance. It’s the perfect getaway to finish her book and start fresh.

But as she hunkers down in a blizzard, she spots something through the window: a pale arm peeking out from a heap of snow. Trapped in the mountains and alone with a dead, frozen body, Kerry must keep her head and make it out before the killer comes for her too. But is the deadly game of cat-and-mouse all in her mind? The body count begs to differ . . .

Reader’s Log 029: Church History

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For a while now, I’ve taken a deeper dive into Church history including the early church, Protestantism, Eastern Orthodoxy and other church denominations. I’ve also been study cultural backgrounds of ancient Judaism, the intertestamental period and Hellenistic Jews of the first century. It’s a lot to unpack. I know. I do happen to have a method and organization of my study and notes. Before I took this journey, I had mostly done surface studies and reading on these subjects.

I’m currently reading/studying, “The Early Church: From Ignatius to Augustine by George Hodges and up next I be reading, “What It Means to Be Protestant: The Case for an Always-Reforming Church by Gavin Ortlund, I follow Ortlund’s teachings on YouTube and it is a goal of mine to read all his written works.  

I highly recommend this journey.

Stephanie Hopkins

The Early Church: From Ignatius to Augustine by George Hodges

In the first century A.D., the roots of the early Church began to spread across the Roman world.

But who were its leaders?

And how did it survive through waves of hostility and oppression?

George Hodges, in this fascinating history, explains how the early Church developed from its lowly and persecuted origins of the first century through to becoming the main religion of the Roman Empire and the various kingdoms that succeeded it.

Hodges provides a full picture of the Roman Empire and its religion at this time, explaining how the Church was able to gain a foothold, how heresy nearly tore it apart and how many men and women sacrificed their own lives to protect the faith.

He uncovers why by the third century the Church began to develop into a settled and definite organization, with leaders, like Cyprian and Cyril, who assisted their followers, convened at gatherings like the Council of Nicaea to agree on doctrinal matters and how monasticism developed in both the East and West.

Finally, Hodges explains how the Church was able survive the collapse of the Roman Empire, a state that had begun to protect and support the Church after Constantine’s conversion in 312. The Church was forced to contend with the power vacuum of the tumultuous fourth and fifth centuries and to make allies and convert the pagans who were threatening them.

The Early Church: From Ignatius to Augustine is a brilliant history of the late Roman Empire and how the Christian Church developed within it.

George Hodges was an American theologian and dean of the Episcopal Theological School at Cambridge Massachusetts. The Independent stated that many of his works were reissued during his lifetime due to “the high esteem in which his religious messages are held by the reading public.” This work was first published in 1915 and he died in 1919.

What It Means to Be Protestant: The Case for an Always-Reforming Church by Gavin Ortlund

These days many evangelicals are exploring the more sacramental, liturgical, and historically-conscious church traditions, including Roman Catholicism and Eastern Orthodoxy. This hunger for historical rootedness is a welcome phenomenon–but unfortunately, many assume that this need can only be met outside of Protestant contexts.??

In What it Means to Be Protestant, Gavin Ortlund draws from both his scholarly work in church history and his personal experience in ecumenical engagement to offer a powerful defense of the Protestant tradition. Retrieving classical Protestant texts and arguments, he exposes how many of the contemporary objections leveled against Protestants are rooted in caricature. Ultimately, he shows that historic Protestantism offers the best pathway to catholicity and historical rootedness for Christians today??

In his characteristically charitable and irenic style, Ortlund demonstrates that the 16th century Reformation represented a genuine renewal of the gospel. This does not entail that Protestantism is without faults. But because it is built upon the principle of semper reformanda (always reforming), Protestantism is capable of reforming itself according to Scripture as the ultimate authority. This scholarly and yet accessible book breaks new ground in ecumenical theology and will be a staple text in the field for many years to come.

Book Review: Remember Me by Lesley Pearse

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Pub Date Mar 18 2021 by Agora Books

In the eighteenth-century England a fisherman’s daughter from Cornwall called Mary Broad was arrested for theft and was sentenced to be hung. Her sentence was commuted, and she was transported to Australia, where she and others on the ship were among the first convicts to arrive there. As the story continues, Mary is determined to escape the cruel and dire existence of the colony. Was she successful in her escape?

Based on a true story, Mary’s courage, endurance and grit to withstand the utter cruelty and inhumane conditions of her plight leaves the reader awe struck.

The author weaves an evocative and strong narrative, and the reader becomes acutely aware of the deplorable conditions endured in the ships holding as they make their way to the colony. Heart-wrenching and vivid, this story will stay with you for a very long time.

Stephanie Hopkins

I rated this book five stars.

I obtained a copy of this book from the publishers through NetGalley for an honest review.

Reader’s Log 028: Ebook Haul

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From Black Friday Deals on Amazon

I review books for Severn House and yesterday they emailed me a list of ebooks that were on sale. A few of them I couldn’t pass up on. They were all a cent under a dollar. Do you review books for Severn House? Did you get an email from them? Below are four titles I selected. Can’t wait to read them!

This week I’ve spent the majority of the time reading. I created a bit of a reading challenge for myself. I will be posting soon about what I’ve been reading.

I hope you all had a lovely day yesterday.

Stephanie

The Troubling Death of Maddy Benson by Terry Shames

Everyone knows everyone in a small town like Jarrett Creek. So Chief of Police Samuel Craddock is perplexed when he receives a call from a woman asking the police to rescue her sister. Who is Maddy Benson?

Maddy said she had to get away, but she didn’t get far. When Craddock finds her just off the highway, she’s already dead, shot in the head. And as he learns more about the mysterious Maddy and the real reason behind her recent move to Jarrett Creek, his career is plunged into jeopardy. Can he unravel a terrible knot of lies, threats, dangerous politics and shocking secrets to reveal the truth behind the troubling death of Maddy Benson?

Summer of Secrets by Cora Harrison

When a murder is staged at magnificent Knebworth House, Victorian writer-sleuths, Charles Dickens and Wilkie Collins investigate.August, 1856. Wilkie Collins and Charles Dickens are spending the summer at Knebworth House, the magnificent Hertfordshire home of fellow writer Lord Edward Bulwer-Lytton, where they are putting on a charity performance of one of Lord Edward’s most successful plays, The Lady of Lyon. But the dress rehearsal is disrupted by the discovery of a body lying in the centre of the stage, shot to death.With everyone involved in the play coming under suspicion, the two writer-sleuths feel compelled to investigate. Their enquiries unearth a number of scandalous secrets lurking among the writers, artists and actors assembled at Knebworth. Secrets that stretch back more than twenty years. Secrets that will have devastating repercussions for the present.

Hollow Bones by Erica Wright

An eerie Appalachian town. A fatal fire. Three women whose fates intertwine . . .Essa Montgomery and her brother Clyde were brought up in New Hope, a serpent-handling church in Vintera, West Virginia, until the shocking deaths of both their parents closed the church down. Now twenty, reclusive Essa lives alone in her childhood home in the shadow of New Hope, which to her horror has been taken over by a new charismatic, unsettling pastor who continues the dangerous practice. So when the church burns down, she’s glad – until she learns that two people died in the blaze, and her brother’s the prime suspect . . .Life has made Juliet Usher, who scratches a living as a psychic medium, both assertive and ruthless. With a baby on the way, it’s the worst possible time for her partner Clyde to be arrested. She’ll do anything to survive and keep him out of prison – no matter what it takes!Merrit Callahan has always been ambitious. A striving news reporter, she’s willing to go the extra mile and break the rules to get the big scoop. And in small-town Vintera, she thinks she might have found the story that will be the making of her career.Fans of Angie Kim’s Miracle Creek and Eli Cranor’s Ozark Dogs will love this gripping and creepy mystery novel inspired by Shakespeare’s Measure for Measure using a contemporary setting filled with shocking twists and turns!

The Isolated Séance by Jeri Westerson

Watch out, Sherlock! Introducing one-time Baker Street Irregular Timothy Badger and his partner-in-crime Benjamin Watson, two exciting and unconventional young consulting detectives, mentored by the great man himself, tackling intriguing and unusual cases in Victorian London with endearing verve and wit.

Sherlock Holmes’s protégés Tim Badger and Benjamin Watson are catapulted into a tricky first case when a man is brutally murdered during a séance.

London, 1895. Former Baker Street Irregular Tim Badger is determined to follow in the footsteps of his great mentor, Sherlock Holmes, by opening his own consulting detective agency with his partner, Benjamin Watson. The intrepid duo are ready to make a name for themselves . . . if only they had clients!

Their luck changes when Sherlock recommends his protégés to Thomas Brent. Brent is eager to find out who killed his master, Horace Quinn, during a séance at Quinn’s house. What was Quinn desperately trying to find out from his deceased business partner, Stephen Latimer, before he was stabbed through the heart?

It seems that everyone in Quinn’s household had a reason to want him dead. Can Tim and Benjamin step out of Sherlock’s shadow to navigate dark secrets and unexpected dangers in their pursuit of a cold-blooded killer?

Book Review: The Perfect Ex-Wife by Winter K. Willis

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A Psychological Thriller

Pub Date Dec 02, 2024, by Celestial Bear Publishing

Ramona plays second fiddle to Bradley’s ex-wife, Natasha, who went missing twelve years ago. No matter how hard Ramona tries to be the perfect wife and mother to Bradley and his teenage daughter, Allison, they can’t let go of the past. No matter how hard she tries to be a good mother to Allison, she always says or does the wrong thing, and Allison pushes her further away.

The day two police officers show up at their home to tell them they discovered remains of a woman believed to be Bradley’s Ex-Wife Natasha, they bring in Bradley for questioning and from there everything spirals out of control. Family secrets and betrayal reveal themselves in astonishing ways.  

The Perfect Ex-Wife is told from Natasha and Ramona’s points of view, and it certainly is a page turner from the start. This story touches on a few themes such as alcoholism, depression, adultery, obsession, erratic behavior, neglect, self-serving behavior and devastating consequences for one’s actions. I have to say obsession and desperation drives the plot of this story and the author brilliantly portrays these actions.

What fascinates me about psychological thrillers is exploration of what is reality or what is perceived to be reality in the minds of the characters. Perception is tricky when it comes to the human mind and how we see and experience the world around us and how we perceive other people’s speech, actions and motives. Our perception could easily be distorted, which may lead to serious and devastating consequences for oneself and others when acted upon. I thought a lot about this while reading this story which leads to the unreliable narrator. The characters’ credibility in the story becomes compromised by the ill choices they make due to their perception of reality and their own selfish wants. We see this abundantly with the characters in this story and it leaves you guessing what is true and what is false. The lines quickly blur as the story progresses and before you know it, things take a drastic turn to events.

What a thrilling and suspenseful story.

Stephanie

I obtained a galley copy from Celestial Bear Publishing through NetGalley for an honest review.

Reader’s Log 027: NetGalley

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Recently, I’ve started back with book reviewing for publishers via invite through emails and on NetGalley. I also have a backlog of books to review, and I’ve worked on a system to get caught up on my backlog while reviewing ARCS (Advance Reader Copies). There are several reasons why I got behind, but the important thing is I’m catching up.

Firstly, I’m a mood reader so I need to factor in this while selecting the books I want to read and review. I also tend to read several books at once depending on the genre. I’ve been able to read like this for years now due to practice, focus and taking notes.

Secondly, keeping a reading journal, excel sheets and a schedule helps me stay on track. This also takes mindfulness to keep to this routine. Yes, sometimes I get off track because life happens. My reading journal is where I keep the list of books I’ve completed. I have separate notebooks for taking notes for drafting reviews. I also use a calendar book to keep track of when book reviews (other posts) are scheduled to go live on my website.

How I Use Excel for books to review:

I have two excel spread sheets to keep track of my NetGalley books to review. You can also keep track on the NetGalley site as well. They have it all set up for you. I’m using excel as well so I can group my current ARCS and Backlog. I limit how many I put on the spread sheets. This technique helps me from becoming overwhelmed with my backlog. Below is an example of how I group and select the next ones to read and review.

On this post I did not include the pub date and so forth. Which I have on the spread sheets. The books listed are the ones I need and want to have completed before June 2025. The completion is based on the ARCs and their publishing date and when they need to be turned in. After I have read and reviewed these books, I will add to the spread sheets the next group of books to work on. I’m currently averaging about 4 to 8 a month of books read and reviewed. Sometimes that number changes but I make sure that every week I’m turning in a review(s). Right now, I’m reading ARCs during the day and reading a book from my backlog late afternoon and evening.

Stephanie

ARCS (2024-June 2025):

1. Sisters in Science by Olivia – Campbell –Currently reading

2. Babylonia by Costanza Casati 

3. The Sinners All Bow by Kate Winkler Dawson – Currently reading

4. Death Comes in Three by Michael Jecks

5. The Garden by Nick Newman – Recently finished

6. We Are Made of Stars by Rochelle B. Weinstein – Finished reading yesterday

7. I died for Beauty by Amanda Flower – Almost finished reading

8. Murder at the Loch by Dee MacDonald

9. The King’s Messenger by Susanna Kearsley    

10. The Secrets of Good People by Boo Walker 

11. The River Is Waiting by Wally Lamb

12. Boney Creek by Paula Gleeson    

13. One Good Thing by Georgia Hunter

14. Nine Minutes Eleven Seconds by L.V. Pederson

15. Parents Weekend by Alex Finlay 

16. The Mysterious Case of the Victorian Female Detective by Sara Lodge –Book has been published. I received a review copy after the pub date.

Backlog:

1. Remember Me by Lesley Pearse

2. Mr. Campion’s Coven by Mike Ripley

3. The Eyes of the Queen by Oliver Clements

4. The Paris Dressmaker by Kristy Cambron

5. The Dictionary of Lost Words by Pip Williams

6. Our of the Rain by VC Andrews

7. The Midnight Watch by David Dyer

8. Greenwhich Park by Katherine Faulkner

9. The Bookseller’s Secret by Michelle Gables

10.  A Scream in Soho by John G. Brandon

Already Scheduled Post Dates on Layered Pages: Book Reviews

This schedule is always being added to as I finish writing the posts and choosing a post date.

Book Review: The Perfect Ex-Wife by Winter K. Willis- Nov 25, 2025

Book Review: The Last Room on the Left by Leah Konen- Jan 4, 2025

Book Review: Not Our Daughter by Chad Zunker- Feb 2, 2025

Book Review: The Garden by Nick Newman- Feb 10, 2025

Reader’s Log 025: Cover Crush

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Van Gogh Has a Broken Heart by Russ Ramsey – Published October 22, 2024 by Zondervan

What Art Teaches Us About the Wonder and Struggle of Being Alive  

I love art history and I was thrilled to come across this book from a YouTuber I follow. The cover is a stunning piece of art and the premise of the book sounds intriguing! Are you an art history enthusiast? Adding this one to my wish-list.

Stephanie

Book Description:

Beyond a mere introduction to great art, Van Gogh Has a Broken Heart is about loving to learn what art has to teach us about the wonder and struggle of being alive.

Did you know that:

  • Vincent van Gogh’s attempt to start an artist’s colony with Paul Gauguin lasted only nine weeks, ending in his infamous “ear episode”?
  • Pablo Picasso was a prime suspect in the disappearance of the Mona Lisa?
  • Artemisia Gentileschi was tortured with thumbscrews to verify her testimony at her own rapist’s trial?
  • Norman Rockwell’s critics said his work would never be accepted as “high art”–and he agreed?

These stories–and many more–shaped the work these artists left behind. In their art are lessons common to the human experience about the wonder and struggle of being alive: dreams lost, perspectives changed, and humility derived through suffering.

In Van Gogh Has a Broken Heart, Russ Ramsey digs into these artists’ stories for readers who may be new to art, as well as for lifelong students of art history, to mine the transcendent beauty and hard lessons we can take from their masterpieces and their lives. Each story from some of the history’s most celebrated artists applies the beauty of the gospel in a way that speaks to the suffering and hope we all face.

Reader’s Log 024: Trilogies Part I

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Thomas De Quincey Trilogy by David Morrell

Quite a few years ago now, I had the pleasure to interview and review about David Morrell’s Thomas De Quincey Trilogy. A few weeks ago, I was looking through my book stacks and came across paperback copies of his trilogy. I thought this would be a great story to read again and how it would be a great idea to re-post about his books and the interview I had with him, back in 2013. Gosh, has it really been that long ago since I interviewed David? Time flies! Morell’s Thomas De Quincey Trilogy is a fantastic read and perfect for the fall season to curl up with. By the way, did you know that Morrell is best known for his debut 1972 novel First Blood, which would later become a successful film franchise starring Sylvester Stallone?

Stephanie

Murder as a Fine Art #1

Gaslit London is brought to its knees in David Morrell’s brilliant historical thriller.

Thomas De Quincey, infamous for his memoir ‘Confessions of an English Opium-Eater’, is the major suspect in a series of ferocious mass murders identical to ones that terrorized London forty-three years earlier.

The blueprint for the killings seems to be De Quincey’s essay “On Murder Considered as One of the Fine Arts.” Desperate to clear his name but crippled by opium addiction, De Quincey is aided by his devoted daughter Emily and a pair of determined Scotland Yard detectives.

In ‘Murder as a Fine Art’, David Morrell plucks De Quincey, Victorian London, and the Ratcliffe Highway murders from history. Fogbound streets become a battleground between a literary star and a brilliant murderer, whose lives are linked by secrets long buried but never forgotten.

My interview with David Morell and review for Murder as a Fine Art

Inspector of the Dead #2

The year is 1855. The Crimean War is raging. The incompetence of British commanders causes the fall of the English government. The Empire teeters. Amid this crisis comes opium-eater Thomas De Quincey, one of the most notorious and brilliant personalities of Victorian England. Along with his irrepressible daughter, Emily, and their Scotland Yard companions, Ryan and Becker, De Quincey finds himself confronted by an adversary who threatens the heart of the nation.

This killer targets members of the upper echelons of British society, leaving with each corpse the name of someone who previously attempted to kill Queen Victoria. The evidence indicates that the ultimate victim will be Victoria herself.

My book review of “Inspector of the Dead”

Ruler of the Night #3

Thomas De Quincey is beginning to control his opium addiction when the excitement of his current case threatens to unravel his grip on reality once and for all. On their way home to the Lake District, the De Quinceys become unwitting witnesses to a truly historic murder: the first to take place on one of England’s newly constructed railways.

The railways changed everything in the Victorian era, transforming the English countryside, revolutionizing modern industry, and as the De Quinceys discover, providing the perfect escape. Giving chase in a cat-and-mouse game unlike any that have come before, the De Quinceys uncover a dangerous secret that reaches all levels of English society.

My book review of “Ruler of the Night”

David Morell’s website

Cover Crush: The Garden by Nick Newman

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Whenever I come across a story that entails a walled garden, a boarded house, and eccentric siblings or people in general; I’ve got to check it out! I just hope it isn’t as dark and depressing as the last book I read and couldn’t finish.

Isn’t this book cover beautiful?!

I have an ARC of this book from the publishers through NetGalley for an honest review. My review will probably be posted a week or two before the publishing date. –Stephanie

About the book:

Pub Date Feb 18 2025

PENGUIN GROUP Putnam

304 Pages

Description:

In a place and time unknown, two elderly sisters live in a walled garden, secluded from the outside world. Evelyn and Lily have only ever known each other. What was before the garden, they have forgotten; what lies beyond it, they do not know. Each day is spent in languid service to their home: tending the bees, planting the crops, and dutifully following the instructions of the almanac written by their mother.

When a nameless boy is found hiding in the boarded house at the center of their isolated grounds, their once-solitary lives are irrevocably disrupted. Who is he? Where did he come from? And most importantly, what does he want?

As suspicions gather and allegiances falter, Evelyn and Lily are forced to confront the dark truths about themselves, the garden, and the world as they’ve known.

Book Review: Heart of the Frontier

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by Brittany Larsen, Jen Geigle Johnson, Jennie Hansen & Carolyn Twede Frank

Heart of the Frontier is a collection of western novellas written by four authors. Each story is about people or families from different places.

There are a few stories that would make a great full-length novel. Particularly, “The Gamble”, the first book in the collection was one I really wanted the story expanded on. The story has a great premise and plot. All of the stories in the book is wonderful and enjoyable to read. I truly didn’t expect to like this book as much as I did.

I appreciate the authors clean romance approach and their focus to the struggles of western frontier life.

I don’t typical read in the western romance genre but the book cover caught my eye, which lead me to find out about the stories. I’m delighted I chose this book and will be adding a physical copy to my book stack.

Below are brief descriptions of the stories.

Stephanie

Description

The Gamble

Brittany Larsen

British aristocrat Thomas Clayborne anticipated a grand adventure in America—but what he imagined is a far cry from the rough-and-tumble reality. When his journey West brings a bold young woman into his life, will he risk everything for true love?

Her Frontier Bandit

Jen Geigle Johnson

When Rebecca and her physician father relocate to a frontier town in desperate need of a doctor, Rebecca believes it will be an opportunity to mend her recently broken heart. But she quickly realizes that no matter how far she runs, true love always finds a way.

Sagebrush Sally

Jennie Hansen

English rose Sally is finding it difficult to bloom in the rugged wasteland of the West. But with two handsome cowboys vying for her affections, it seems that even amid cattle thieves and gunfights, the truest danger lies in losing her heart.

Celebration for Celia

Carolyn Twede Frank

Though Celia generally adores Fourth of July festivities, she finds herself weighed down by uncertainties that dim her anticipation of the holiday. Then fate brings into her life a dashing stranger who is determined to give Celia a celebration she’ll never forget.

Pub Date Jul 01 2021 by Covenant Communications

I obtained a reviewer copy from the publishers through NetGalley for an honest review.

This book is from my backlog list of books to read and review through NetGalley.