Xepherus Reads

  Hello, Fellow Book Worms and Book Dragons,          Other People's Houses is written by Clare Mackintosh. It is book three in the DC Morgan series published by Sourcebooks. In it Ffion Morgan is balancing a mischievous dog, an uncertain relationship with her realtor, and her relationship with Detective Sergeant Leo Brady. Ffion is investigating the murder of a young realtor. Leo is investigating a series of burglaries in an affluent neighborhood. And the world seems to be addicted to solving a ten year old cold case thanks to a true crime podcast.   But when a burglary turns violent, a killer may have resurfaced in the wealthy neighborhood of the Hills. As their cases begin to connect, Ffion and Leo come face to face with a murderer determined to keep his or her identity a secret.  Unfortunately for Leo, his ex-wife, Allie, lives down the road from the Hills. She is nosy and determined to fit in with the "in crowd". Will she be a help or a hinde...

    Hello, Fellow Book Worms and Book Dragons,           A Game of Lies is book two in a new series by Clare Mackintosh, published in 2024 by Sourcebooks. Detective Ffion Morgan has her hands full when a reality TV show moves into the area near her home town of Cwn Coed. Her friends and family are glued to the television screen waiting for each new episode. But when the true nature of Exposure is revealed, one contestant vanishes. And the show's producer is murdered.   With the help of her on-again-off-again beau, Detective Leo Brady, Ffion delves into the backstabbing behind the scenes of the show. One thing is certain, everyone despised the show's producer. A killer roams the set and Ffion must watch her back when dealing with a game of lies.    A Game of Lies was a fun and thrilling read. Returning to the world of Ffion Morgan was a welcomed end to a week-long reading slump. Mackintosh also added in characters from book one, as well a...

  Hello, Fellow Book Worms and Book Dragons,      It is time to begin sharing my  2026 Xepherus Reads  Reading Challenge results.    The challenge dates are January 1, 2026, to December 31, 2026  Book Challenge books read: 11/50) Books Read Not in a Category: (32) Total Books Read: (43)   Updated 07/16/2026   Xepherus Reads Challenge categories (in alphabetical order):                 A 2025 Goodreads Choice winner- A banned book- A biography of a celebrity- A book a Netflix show was based on- A book by a debut author- A book by your favorite author you have not read- Not a Happy Family by Shari Lapena (****) A book featuring your favorite character- One Last Kill by Robert Dugoni (****) A book from your childhood- Something Wicked This Way Comes by Ray Bradbury  (*****) A Book of the Month Club Book- A book over 500 pages- A book published during the 1970s- A book pub...

               Hello, Fellow Bookworms and Book Dragons,          The Last Party is book one in a new series by Clare Mackintosh, published in 2022 by Sourcebooks. In this twisty story of betrayal and murder, we are introduced to Welsh detective, Ffion Morgan.    When a body is found in a lake near Ffion's house on New Year's Day, she is partnered with English detective Leo Brady to solve the case. But their complicated past together will either hinder or speed up the investigation. The victim is a wealthy developer, Rhys Lloyd. And he was surrounded by plenty of locals who would have loved to see him dead. With scandals, double-crosses, and a bitter wife, Lloyd had multiple targets on him.      As Ffion and Leo close in on the killer, they may be the next victims if they are not careful.     The Last Party was a fast and suspenseful novel. Ffion and her village of Cwn Coed were...

  Hello, Fellow Book Worms and Book Dragons,            At the beginning of the year I decided to change the way I tackled my To Be Read shelves. I created a jar filled with photo stickers of various book covers. As the covers were added the jar became too small. I graduated the collection to a trading card snap box.    Let's take a few minutes and see how my experiment is doing.  And the changes that were made since:   Always maintain 50 or more books in the jar. (I have exceeded that number, adding comics and graphic novels.) Read what I pick (this still works very well. In the event of a DNF , I label the back of the sticker and set aside with other books I did not finish.) If the book chosen is part of a series, draw another book. (series are now in small baggies. When the baggie is pulled, I choose the next book in the series). Set aside my chosen book into a small baggie to minimize re-drawing that book. (This has worked w...

  Hello, Fellow Book Worms and Book Dragons,          Occasionally, I start a book and do not finished it. There are varying reasons why. One of my notorious DNF books was Whispering Shadows by Jan-Phillip Sendker. It started it twice and left it for another three years. In the end, I gave it four stars, wondering why I did not finish it in the first place.   This year I repurchased one DNF, and added several more. As the list got bigger, I decided to challenge myself.    What if I made a list in July and revisited it in December to track my progress?    I am curious to see if the following books will be finished. DNF List Stats The Perfect Husband by Lisa Gardner (started July 2021/ DNF'd July 2021/ reason: started on a plane ride and was set aside for vacation.) Murder Road by Simone St. James (started April 2024/ DNF'd May 2024/repurchased when I found it 60% off at a sale/ original reason: lost interest. But I did like what I ...