Can't Wait Wednesday: A Bitter Cut by Anna Lee Huber (A Lady Darby Mystery Book 14)

For this week's Can't Wait Wednesday hosted by Tressa at the book blog, Wishful Endings, I'm featuring, A Bitter Cut, by Anna Lee Huber. This is yet another series on my list to eventually read. I have featured other books by this author and I don't know if it's the beautiful covers or interesting summaries that draw me in but I always stop when I see her books. 

She has another series, Verity Kent mysteries, and I've read book seven, The Cold Light of Day. The time period for that one really interested me so I just jumped in but I found it hard to understand due to not having read them in order.

In this story, it is 1833 and the heroine, Lady Darby and her husband Sebastian, find themselves caught up in trying to clear the name of her brother's father-in-law to be of murder. 

Historical Mysteries

June 23, 2026

Book description courtesy of Goodreads

Lady Kiera Darby plans to spend the summer reconnecting with friends and family in anticipation of the betrothal of her beloved brother. But when a future in-law is implicated in a murder, the party takes a deadly turn. . . .

July 1833. Lady Darby and her dashing husband, Sebastian Gage, are settling into their newly renovated home at Bevington Park in Warkwickshire with their young daughter. With the breach between them and Sebastian’s father recently healed, they've agreed to help host a country house party for friends and family to share in their joy. Kiera is also anxious to help promote a match between her brother, Trevor, and the woman he’s fallen in love with, inviting her family to join them. However, Kiera swiftly discovers that the would-be bride’s family is not without their detractions. Her brother is unpleasant. Her mother is abrasive. And her father—the prosperous industrialist Jeremiah Birnam—is brusque, discourteous, and, at times, downright rude. 

So when Mr. Birnam’s secretary is found murdered with Birnam standing over her body, many are content to allow him to take the blame. But neither Kiera nor Sebastian believes he did it, and in spite of his bluster and boorish behavior, they can’t let an innocent man be hung for another’s crime. Unfortunately, Birnam had his fair share of enemies at the house party, and any one of them might have struck out at his secretary in order to get to him. It's up to Kiera and Sebastian to uncover the truth and salvage Birnam’s reputation. As the couple slowly inches their way closer to the truth and threats emerge against their loved ones, Kiera begins to fear that the price of solving the crime may mean sacrificing her brother’s future happiness.

 

Can't Wait Wednesday: The Royal Hammer by David Field (The Wars of the Roses Saga Book One)

 

For this week's Can't Wait Wednesday hosted by Tressa at the book blog, Wishful Endings, I'm featuring, The Royal Hammer, by David Field. He has become a favorite author of mine over the last few years, writing about time periods I love. There are so few good, accurate historical fiction books on the three Edwards (Kings I,II, and III) and he has taken them on in this new saga of the Wars of the Roses. This series picks up where he last left off with the defeat of Simon de Montfort. 

I know it seems strange to start here for the Wars because most of us think of the 1400's but I am so glad he is because the background gaps and reasons for the wars start way before Edward IV and Richard III come on the scene. All of his books stay true to history and have entertaining fictional as well as historical characters. I cannot wait for this one!

Historical Fiction

June 5, 2026

Book description courtesy of Goodreads

As royal power changes, so do the fortunes of those who serve it…

England, 1265

The attempt by Simon de Montfort to force Henry III to abide by the Magna Carta has been put down, and those who rode in his train are scattered to the wind. Some, like William of Kenilworth, feel the need to assume a new identity, and as ‘William Bywater’ he finds himself in the service of the warlike Prince Edward. William’s proven loyalty and courage result in him regaining his long-lost family estate of Flint, and he is engaged to form the ‘King’s Escort’, an elite group of men-at-arms who guard the king. 

But a cloud gathers on the horizon when a young and impressionable prince falls under the spell of Piers Gaveston, whose influence will prove to be toxic as the throne passes from father to son. And as always, the fortunes of those who serve the Crown are destined to balance on a knife-edge. Will William find himself on the ruling side of history? Can he maintain the favor of the king? Or will fortune fail him once again…

Can't Wait Wednesday: The Queen's Sister by Carol McGrath

 

For this week's Can't Wait Wednesday hosted by Tressa at the book blog, Wishful Endings, I'm featuring, The Queen's Sister, by Carol McGrath. It appears to be a stand alone novel but I know this author for her popular trilogies about earlier queens. Anyone who loves historical fiction about the tudors will want to try this one. It tells the story of Elizabeth Seymour, a sister of Anne Boleyn and her attempt to distance herself from King Henry VIII's court to no avail. She is caught up in the events concerning the other sister, Jane and "dark plots and secrets" of the court. I'm sure it is exciting fiction and I always like authors who take more obscure people and bring them to life. 

Historical Fiction

June 4, 2026

Book description courtesy of Goodreads

A mother, a wife, a woman of substance...

At nineteen, Elizabeth Seymour is already a mother, has been recently widowed, and seen her Queen, Anne Boleyn, lose her life. Against the wishes of her father, she heads North, away from Wulf Hall and the court in London to Yorkshire, determined to establish a new beginning as a landowner and business woman. As her family in Wiltshire curry favour with King Henry, aided by Thomas Cromwell, Elizabeth makes Kexby Manor her home, finding loyalty among her people there.

Soon, news comes to Elizabeth of the King's desires for her sister, Jane and while her brother, Edward, encourages her own betrothal to Gregory Cromwell, son of Thomas. It is a happy second marriage for Elizabeth, but it brings unwanted involvement in the dark plots and secrecy of the court, while in the wider country, changes in religious practice threaten to alter the traditions and values of all she has known.

The Queen's Sister vividly imagines the story of the woman possibly portrayed in Hans Holbein's beautiful painting 'Portrait of a Lady,' and is a colourful, meticulously researched novel of Tudor life behind the scenes.

Can't Wait Wednesday: In the Great Quiet: A Novel by Laura Vogt

 

For this week's Can't Wait Wednesday hosted by Tressa at the book blog, Wishful Endings, I'm featuring, In the Great Quiet, by Laura Vogt. I thought this story looked unique and loved that it is based on the author's ancestors' lives. The Oklahoma Land Rush doesn't get represented in much literature but I've always thought it interesting. This book looks to be part history, romance, saga, and survivalist. It is unlikely to be boring.

Historical Fiction, American Historical Fiction

April 1, 2026

Book description courtesy of Goodreads

A pioneer unwaveringly endures the Oklahoma frontier in an epic adventure about a woman haunted by secrets and searching for home.

A cannon booms at high noon, and the race begins in the Oklahoma land rush of 1893.

Amid the crowd is Minnie Hoopes. Tenacious and fiercely independent, she is determined to endure the brutal frontier and create a life of her own. Guarding her solitude, she distances herself from bordering homesteaders and finds peace under the starry nights of the vast frontier. But this is outlaw country, and Minnie soon has the blood of two gunfighters on her hands. After a renegade outlaw named Stot discovers her secrets, she forms an unlikely friendship with him. With each passing season, Minnie’s past grows more haunting and threatens the future she has risked everything to build. Minnie raced into the Wild West alone, but her grandest journey in the frontier wilderness is one she never saw coming.

Based on the true story of the author’s great-great-grandparents, this sweeping and transportive survival story explores a woman’s connection with the land, her reconciliation with the past, and her elemental search for home against all odds.

Can't Wait Wednesday: The Case of the Christie Curse by Kelly Oliver (The Detection Club Book Three)

For this week's Can't Wait Wednesday hosted by Tressa at the book blog, Wishful Endings, I'm featuring, The Case of the Christie Curse, by Kelly Oliver. I am almost finished with her other series, Fiona Figg Mysteries. I really like them and so I eventually want to read these books too. Her writing is funny and engaging and although the premise of this series is very different I'm willing to give them a try. This third book is the latest coming out this month.

It is set in Mesopotamia which hooks me right away and involves famous digs and famous characters like Dorothy Sayers and Max Mallowan. It should be a lot of fun!

Historical Mysteries, Cozy Mysteries

February 21, 2026

Book description courtesy of Goodreads

Mesopotamia, 1930: 

When Agatha Christie invites fellow members of the Detection Club to witness the famous excavations at the ruins of Ur, Dorothy L. Sayers, her quick-witted assistant Eliza Baker, and Theo Sharp expect ancient wonders not fresh corpses.

But when an archaeologist is found dead in the sand, whispers of a deadly curse sweep through the camp. Eliza suspects something far more dangerous than superstition. Amid glittering artifacts and fragile alliances, every guest harbors the Woolleys, whose marriage is shadowed by tragedy; a journalist hungry for scandal; even academic Max Mallowan, whose loyalties are not what they seem.

As theft, forgery, and coded messages surface, the line between archaeology and espionage blurs. And when Eliza and Theo find themselves in danger, they not only must face the truth about the murder, but also the truths they’ve long denied about each other. Can they uncover the killer before the desert claims another victim? Or will this dig unearth secrets too dangerous to survive?

Can't Wait Wednesday: Murder At Sea by Helena Dixon (A Miss Underhay Mystery Book 23)

For this week's Can't Wait Wednesday hosted by Tressa at the book blog, Wishful Endings, I'm featuring, Murder At Sea, by Helena Dixon. This series is on my list of wanting to continue even though I haven't gotten far with it. Gorgeous covers, cute characters, and cozy plots. 

In this story, Kitty Underhay goes on an ocean cruise adventure to solve the murder of her cousin’s love interest as well as the jewelry he apparently has stolen. They must find the murderer who is on the ship before he kills again. Set in the 1930's this is a cozy series that is long running, this being book 23. 

Historical Mysteries, Cozy Mysteries

February 23, 2026

Book description courtesy of Goodreads

Devon, 1938. Kitty Underhay is enjoying a well-deserved rest when her very upset cousin Hattie suddenly bursts in. She sobs that the gentleman she had been seeing, Richard Westonholme, seems to have vanished, taking all of her jewelry with him. As Hattie describes Richard, he sounds eerily familiar, and Kitty and her husband Matt board a ship in hot pursuit – only to find him lying in a lifeboat… dead.

As they’ve set sail, the murderer has to be on board too, but there are suspects as far as the eye can see. Could Richard’s wife have something to do with the murder? What about the rich heiress and her guardian? And is the steward hiding something fishy?

Kitty and Matt are all too aware that the clock is ticking while the suspects are trapped with no escape. Can they net the killer before the ship docks? Or will one of them be dead in the water before they reach dry land?

Can't Wait Wednesday: On the Wings of the Storm by Maggie Craig (Storm Over Scotland Book Four)

 

For this week's Can't Wait Wednesday hosted by Tressa at the book blog, Wishful Endings, I'm featuring, On the Wings of the Storm, by Maggie Craig. I subscribe to her newsletter and I have read the first book in this series and although it was a bit more in the romance department than I usually like it was still good. 

I had forgotten about the series until I read the newsletter and saw book four was coming out. Of course now I'm behind, lol....always behind in my series reads. I love all things Scottish, Jacobite, Outlander-like, so I may need to start book two soon. If you want a good read about the lost Stuart cause with some romance thrown in, you will like this series. 

Historical Fiction, Scottish Historical Fiction

February 12, 2026

Book description courtesy of Goodreads

Summer 1745: Prince Charles Edward Stuart has landed in the Highlands, igniting a rebellion that will set Scotland ablaze.

Redcoat Captain Robert Catto has painful personal reasons for hating all Jacobites with a passion. Except for one. Christian Rankeillor is a fiercely intelligent apothecary in Edinburgh. Her loyalty to the Jacobite Cause is unshakeable.

Now, as the Rising gathers force and loyalties harden into life-or-death choices, Catto must confront enemies on and off the battlefield as well as the ghosts of his troubled past.

On opposite sides of a brutal conflict, can Robert and Kirsty dare to hope against all the odds they might have a future together? Or will the coming storm destroy their last chance at love?

Can't Wait Wednesday: Vanished in the Crowd by Rhys Bowen (A Molly Murphy Mystery Book 22)

For this week's Can't Wait Wednesday hosted by Tressa at the book blog, Wishful Endings, I'm featuring, Vanished in the Crowd, by Rhys Bowen. I have only read the first book in this series but I enjoyed it. So I know many people are loving them and want to know about the latest book. 

Molly investigates the case of a missing female scientist in 1909 New York. Taking place during the 300th celebration of the discovery of the Hudson River, it includes some historical elements that sound interesting. I know fans of the series will be excited for it! 

Hope you have found something you can't wait for! 

Historical Mysteries, Cozy Mysteries

March 10, 2026

Book description courtesy of Goodreads

New York is busier than ever as two million visitors come to the city to witness the Hudson-Fulton celebration in 1909, marking the 300th anniversary of Henry Hudson's discovery of the Hudson River. Parades, exhibitions, carnivals, and a marvelous display of the wonders of the latest invention, electricity, across the city make for two straight weeks of celebrations, which Molly and her family, along with their friends Sid and Gus, are excited to enjoy. But Molly is secretly dealing with financial troubles. She is too proud to ask her friends for a loan, but when they want to hire her as a detective she jumps at the chance.

Sid and Gus are hosting fellow Vassar graduates to take part in one of the parades but one of the women, a brilliant scientist, never shows up. It seems nobody knows where she is, including her husband. Is she trying to run away from her life or is it something more sinister? Why have the Vassar women really come to New York City? When Daniel asks Molly to spy on her friends and find out just what they are planning she finds her loyalties horribly divided. Then the parade turns deadly and only Molly has the tools to find out the truth.

 

Can’t Wait Wednesday: Vengeance in Venice by Erica Ruth Neubauer (A Jane Wunderly Mystery Book Seven)

 

For this week's Can't Wait Wednesday hosted by Tressa at the book blog, Wishful Endings, I'm featuring, Vengeance in Venice, by Erica Ruth Neubauer. This is another cozy mystery series I'm wanting to catch up on and I've read the first four books. I love the locations and the character development. The covers are pretty awesome too! In this one, Jane and Redvers are finally married but of course their honeymoon has to contain drama and murder. 

Hope you have found something you can't wait for! Happy reading y'all!

Historical Mysteries, Cozy Mysteries

March 31, 2026

Book description courtesy of Goodreads

At long last, Jane and Redvers have arrived in Venice, the famed city of love, for their honeymoon. But behind a mask at a costume ball on the Grand Canal hides the gaze of a heartless killer.

Venice, 1927: As romantic as it is mysterious, the Floating City is a dream destination for the newlyweds, but they’ll soon discover the twisting canals hide more mystery than they expected. It begins when they are invited to an elaborate party at Clara Morton’s stunning palazzo on the Grand Canal. The affair is as eccentric as the hostess, who is dressed as Medusa, and features everything from snakes to her pet cheetah to tarot card readings.

The fete also features a fresh corpse—Clara’s ex-husband, found dead in the garden with marks around his neck. The hostess accuses the tarot card reader, who happens to be an acquaintance of Jane, claiming the woman foretold the death of someone close to her. Jane and Redvers come to the young woman’s aid as they learn she was far from the only partygoer with a motive. As the couple follows a labyrinthine trail of scandalous affairs, brazen blackmail, and people who are not who they say they are, they hope that Venice will disclose her secrets before they both end up in over their heads.

Can't Wait Wednesday: The Belle of Chatham by Laura Frantz

 

For this week's Can't Wait Wednesday hosted by Tressa at the book blog, Wishful Endings, I'm featuring, The Belle of Chatham, by Laura Frantz. I have not read anything by her before and normally this isn't my genre but I liked the cover, and the storyline reminds me of a favorite childhood novel I used to love. Also, it is set in New Jersey and New York and being Southern I like reading about the North for a change in historical fiction. Hopefully it also covers a little of the history of the American Revolution.

Hope you have found something you can't wait for! Happy reading y'all!

Historical Fiction, Christian Fiction

January 20, 2026

Book description courtesy of Goodreads

In 1777, caught in the crossroads of the American Revolution, sisters Maebel and Coralie Bohannon's quaint New Jersey village becomes a battleground as they house American officers in their home. Rebellion ripples through their family as members take opposing sides--Patriots and Loyalists--causing a deep chasm that fractures their once-unbreakable bond.

As Mae's friendship grows with the American general Rhys Harlow, Coralie continues her liaison with her childhood sweetheart, a British officer stationed in New York. Torn between her growing love for the general and suspicion that her sister is a British spy, Mae leaves the only home she's ever known for the New York frontier. When betrayal strikes in the heart of the wilderness, she's forced to take a perilous journey that tests her very survival and those she loves, all in the name of liberty.

Proclaimed "wordsmith extraordinaire" by Library Journal, Laura Frantz delivers a stirring tale of divided loyalties, sisterhood, and love.

Can't Wait Wednesday: Nun Shall Sleep by Graham Brack (Master Mercurius Mysteries Book Nine)

 

For this week's Can't Wait Wednesday hosted by Tressa at the book blog, Wishful Endings, I'm featuring, Nun Shall Sleep by Graham Brack. These are similar in tone to Anne Perry's Monk series. That darker tone with the whole "back alley London" vibe. In this story Master Mercurius is drawn into the mystery of a missing relic at a local convent. 

Hope you have found something you can't wait for! Happy reading y'all!

Historical Mystery

January 9, 2026

Book description courtesy of Goodreads

Mercurius can’t believe his luck … but are things too good to be true?

1689

Master Mercurius is making plans for a holiday tour of cathedrals when a letter arrives from Abbess Mathilde asking for his help. Her convent has been left a substantial legacy which the abbess plans to use to fill the library, and she would like Mercurius to be in charge of buying the books. Mercurius has never accepted a mission so quickly. But as the summer wears on, strange things start to happen in the convent. A precious relic goes missing and an important key is lost. Mercurius is fairly certain somebody is up to something, but he doesn’t know who and he doesn’t know what. Desperate to hold on to the dream position he has been given, he finds himself drawn into the mystery. But is there something more sinister going on…?

Nun Shall Sleep is the ninth historical murder investigation in the Master Mercurius Mystery atmospheric crime thrillers set in seventeenth-century Europe.

Can't Wait Wednesday: A Curse in Nuala by Harriet Steel (The Inspector de Silva Mysteries Book 16)

 

For this week's Can't Wait Wednesday hosted by Tressa at the book blog, Wishful Endings, I'm featuring, A Curse in Nuala by Harriet Steel. I love this series and need to get back to it. Inspector de Silva is a great character and the setting of 1930's Ceylon, now known as Sri Lanka, makes it one of a kind.  If you love mysteries with unique settings, a bit of a dark side, and a strong male lead you can't pass these up.

Hope you have found something you can't wait for! Happy reading ya'll!

Historical Mystery

January 14, 2026

Book description courtesy of Goodreads

Ceylon has gained its independence from Britain and Inspector Shanti de Silva is adjusting to his new boss, Police Commissioner Fernando, who much to Shanti’s annoyance hints that he doesn’t have enough to do. Fernando is soon proved wrong when a deposed Indian maharajah who has come to live at the former Residence is murdered, and the Star of Ceylon, a priceless sapphire from his royal collection, is stolen. The jewel is reputed to be cursed and when more suspicious deaths occur, fears that supernatural forces are at work mount. With his wife Jane’s help, can Shanti break the spell and prove his worth to Fernando?

Can't Wait Wednesday: Grave Merriment by Angela Ranson (Catrin Surovell Tudor Mysteries Book Four)

 

For this week's Can't Wait Wednesday hosted by Tressa at the book blog, Wishful Endings, I'm featuring, Grave Merriment by Angela Ranson. I featured the first book in the series in another post, Shades of Death. The books take place at the Elizabethan court and Lady Catrin is asked to investigate a brutal man trying to exhort money from the wealthy. It is set at Christmas time so it would be a good one to save for next year at this time.

Hope you have found something you can't wait for! Happy reading ya'll!

Historical Mystery/Renaissance Mystery

March 13, 2026

Book description courtesy of Goodreads

Christmas, 1561

Queen Elizabeth’s courtiers are decorating Whitehall Palace and preparing for twelve days of festive food, masques and revelry. But Lady Catrin Surovell, Countess of Ashbourne, cannot find her celebratory spirit. The queen has asked her to stop a brute who has forced the waifs of London to work for him. The boys are being beaten or killed if they don’t help him extort money from the wealthy. And it seems the brute may be someone at Court. 

But Catrin’s attempt to find him are disturbed by a mischief-maker who is taking every opportunity to ruin the Christmas festivities, leaving the queen in great distress. At each scene of chaos Catrin finds a perfume bottle, all with their own unique scent. Is the disruption linked to the brute at court? Or is someone else hell-bent on destroying the queen’s festivities? And can Catrin solve both mysteries before someone ends up in grave danger…? 

GRAVE MERRIMENT is the fourth book in the Catrin Surovell Tudor Mystery Series. It is an exciting historical thriller set at the court of Elizabeth I.

Can't Wait Wednesday: At Morning's Light (Home To Green Creek Book Two)

For this week's Can't Wait Wednesday hosted by Tressa at the book blog, Wishful Endings, I'm featuring, At Morning's Light by Lauraine Snelling. I am familiar with her other series set in the early Dakota territories and she is a wonderful storyteller of early pioneers coming over from Scandinavian/Norwegian countries. These are clean, Christian books that aren't cheesy and really pack in a lot of great history. This book takes place in Iowa during the 1800's.

Hope you have found something you can't wait for! Happy reading ya'll!

Christian Fiction/Historical Fiction

December 4, 2025

Book description courtesy of Goodreads

Newlywed Maya Bredesen and her husband plan their trek as immigrants from Norway to a new life at her cousin's boardinghouse in America, but on one last fateful fishing trip, a fierce winter storm steals away her husband. With her dreams for the future crushed, Maya is left grieving on the voyage to Iowa, accompanied instead by her brother, who plans to move in with the local magistrate and finish his seminary degree.
 
Arriving at a boardinghouse spilling over with orphans and a newly-married couple, Maya seeks to find her place amid the chaos. A new friendship develops between her and Eben Miller, the reserved, kind neighboring farmer. Just as Maya begins to recover from her wounded heart, more tragedy engulfs her. As she and Eben weather trials together, can they overcome the difficulties this new land holds when it seems so far from becoming home?
 
Lauraine Snelling creates a heartwarming picture of overcoming grief and embracing love on the Midwestern frontier.

Can't Wait Wednesday: Murder at the Maharaja's Courts by Lee Strauss (A Ginger Gold Mystery Book 28)

For this week's Can't Wait Wednesday hosted by Tressa at the book blog, Wishful Endings, I'm featuring, Murder at the Maharaja's Courts by Lee Strauss. This is a very long series but I really love the setting of India. Lady Ginger gets to go to the maharaja's palace amid a tiger hunt and political rebellion. It sounds like a fun read. 

Hope you have found something you can't wait for! Happy reading ya'll!

Cozy Mystery/Historical Mystery

December 18, 2025

Book description courtesy of GoodReads

Murder is a world away...

Lady Ginger Gold never imagined her journey to Rajasthan would draw her into the glittering yet perilous world of a royal court. Invited with her husband Basil to a lavish celebration at a maharaja’s palace, she is swept into a realm of jewelled elephants, opulent banquets, and the thrill of a tiger hunt in the desert.

But when a guest is gunned down during the hunt, whispers ripple through the gilded halls. Was the bullet meant for the victim—or for the maharaja himself? As Ginger unravels a web of intrigue, she uncovers dangerous British officials with secrets to hide, courtiers with shifting loyalties, and whispers of rebellion against the Crown.

Amid growing rebellion and corruption, Ginger must unmask a killer before palace intrigue turns deadly.