Can't Wait Wednesday: Murder On the Jurassic Coast by Andrea Hicks (A Camille Divine Murder Mystery Book 14)

 

For this week's Can't Wait Wednesday hosted by Tressa at the book blog, Wishful Endings, I'm featuring, Murder On the Jurassic Coast, by Andrea Hicks. She has written a series of books, Camille Devine Mysteries, and they are my favorite type, taking place in unusual, exotic locations: Sicily, Edinburgh, Cairo, and Paris to name a few. These are my favorite type of escape, cozy mysteries. The Jurassic Coast is an original as I've not seen another one set there. It looks interesting!

Historical Mysteries, Cozy Mysteries

June 30, 2026

Book description courtesy of Goodreads

SUMMER 1925
A windswept coast. A fatal fall. A truth buried deeper than the cliffs themselves…

When Knolly receives a devastating letter from an old friend’s husband, the news is Jill, a vibrant woman despite her disability, has been found dead at the foot of a cliff on the hauntingly beautiful Jurassic Coast. Her wheelchair lies shattered on the rocks...but something doesn’t sit right.

As Knolly and Aaron retreat to the coast to grieve in their newly purchased cottage, Camille and Richard arrive to offer comfort… and ask questions. Why was Jill near the cliff edge at all? Why was her wheelchair damaged in a way no fall could explain? And why are the locals so tight-lipped?

With the police baffled and no arrests made, Camille and her circle are once again drawn into a tangle of secrets, lies, and long-held grudges. Among ancient fossils and crashing waves, a very modern killer is hiding in plain sight.

Perfect for fans of Agatha Christie, The Thursday Murder Club, and elegant, character-driven whodunnits, this latest installment in the bestselling Camille Divine Mysteries is layered with intrigue, emotional depth, and deadly deception.

Top Ten Tuesday: Books I Can't Believe I've Never Read

 

This week's theme for Top Ten Tuesday, hosted by That Artsy Reader Girl, is Books I Can't Believe I've Never Read. I seem to remember doing this topic years ago for Top Ten Tuesday but I was honestly too lazy to go back and find it today, lol. 

I probably have books that keep appearing on this list and then that made me think....Shellie, when are you FINALLY going to read them?  Sigh...it's just my typical book loving self I guess who keeps getting distracted by shiny new ones! Many are classics that I have wanted to buckle down and read for years. 

So here is my list and I guess I really, really need to get going! 

Happy reading y'all!!

**Click on the book title to go to Goodreads.

1. The Count of Monte Cristo by Alexandre Dumas- 

I just finished watching the PBS mini series and it's made me want to finally get started reading this....but it's soooooo long! Kind of intimidating

2. War and Peace by Leo Tolstoy- This book just seems like the kind you have to read to be educated. It's a true classic. Again, so incredibly long though.

3. Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte- 

I loved Jane Eyre but somehow never got around to reading the sister's book.

4. Emma by Jane Austen- I have started this book twice. I was enjoying it and so I think I just stopped because it requires so much focus and concentration which I really need to work on!

5. Sense and Sensibility by Jane Austen- Some people say this is better than Emma so it's one I can't believe I haven't started.

6. Anna Karenina by Leo Tolstoy- The premise of this book doesn't truly interest me but my father even loved it (I get the feeling it's a romance driven novel) so maybe I need to give it a try.

7. My Cousin Rachel by Daphne du Maurier- Rebecca will always be my favorite by this author but I love the old black and white movie of this book so I'm surprised I've never read it.

8. The Greatest Knight by Elizabeth Chadwick- This is about a subject I love, William Marshal and a period I love, the 1100's.....I need to get going on this one!

9.The Memoirs of Cleopatra by Margaret George- This has been in my Kindle forever. I know nothing about Cleopatra outside of the movie with Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor. It's one I keep forgetting about.

10.The First Man in Rome by Colleen McCullough- This seems to be a classic and well researched book about Julius Caesar and I'm sure the whole series is amazing. It's another book I've had in my Kindle forever but just haven't started.

The Labors of Hercules by Agatha Christie: Hercule Poirot #27 (Read Christie 2026 May Selection)

 

Publication Date:

January 1, 1947

Genre: 

Mysteries, Short Story Mysteries

Length:  

319 pages

Series:

Hercule Poirot

Book description courtesy of Goodreads

From the Queen of Mystery, the twelve cases Poirot must solve in this captivating collection of short crime fiction stories are dangerous, demanding, and positively ingenious.

In appearance Hercule Poirot hardly resembled an ancient Greek hero. Yet, reasoned the detective, like Hercules he had been responsible for ridding society of some of its most unpleasant monsters.

So, in the period leading up to his retirement, Poirot makes up his mind to accept just twelve more cases: his self-imposed “labors.” Each would go down in the annals of crime as a heroic feat of deduction.

My Thoughts:

I have to admit, I wasn't thrilled about this latest Read Christie choice. I am not a big fan of short stories and especially with mysteries. I like to get involved in the story and with the characters. I thought "how on earth can I enjoy 12 such quick cases?" I am happy to say I was pleasantly surprised and glad I didn't pass it up! I absolutely love Poirot so that helped but the stories were so clever and the whole tying it in with the "labors of hercules" was impressive. I know nothing at all about it and never got into Greek mythology but just seeing Christie use it and put it together with the cases was another testament to what a genius she really was. 

I could go through all the stories but the one that I really wanted to comment on was The Stymphalean Birds story as it was probably my favorite. I liked the way you almost forgot Poirot was in the story and then poof! he appears at the end to save the day. That was fun. Several of the stories were a bit confusing and filled with so many different people I got lost but when I stuck with it the ending was rewarding. I am truly in awe of how Christie came up with the mysteries and was able to "solve" them so succinctly and tie up loose ends. Even though I'm not a short story fan, I was with this book. And I honestly probably wouldn't have read it on my own without it being the Read Christie choice. 

There is something here for everyone....murder, blackmail, kidnapping, romance, heists, pets, and imposters. Each story will keep you guessing and on your toes! I highly recommend you don't skip this one just because it isn't the usual. 

Stacking the Shelves #91

Stacking the Shelves is a weekly meme hosted by Reading Reality. It's a place to showcase any books I have purchased, borrowed, or been lucky enough to have been given an advance copy of. Hope you find something that looks interesting to you or that makes you remember a favorite book you need to finish. Happy reading y'all!

The Castle of Kings by Oliver Potzsch

Kindle purchase: Free with points

On Goodreads this book is compared to The Pillars of the Earth and Bernard Cornwell's Agincourt for its style and history woven into the story. That was enough for me to look into it and I saw it was not part of a series. I am looking for those because I have waaaaayyyyy too many series books going! 

In the 1500's a boy and girl are on the run in Germany after shooting a knight during the Peasants War. I known nothing about this time in Germany and it unfolds during the time the German states were beginning. It looks like a good book to learn about some new historical happenings by an author who grew up there. 

Queen Hereafter: A Novel of Margaret of Scotland by Susan Fraser King

Kindle purchase: $1.50 with points

I love learning about Margaret of Scotland and she seems to be the subject of many new books lately. This one is written by an author who used to write historical romances and holds a degree in medieval art history. The perfect combination for a good novel based on historical research. I might not learn a lot of new things but it would be nice to read another one after my favorite Jean Plaidy one on Margaret. 

British Social Life in India by Dennis Kincaid

Kindle purchase: 60 cents with points

I am not a big fan of reading through primary sources (I'm too impatient!) to learn about something in history but occasionally I'll run across one that looks worthwhile. I am fascinated by the history of India under British rule and this was written in the 1930's by a man who was a former civil servant in British India. He details the life of the British during the colonial India period. He also wrote several novels about life in India that I'd like to look at. 

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.