A riveting tale of ciphers, camaraderie, and standing up to villainy.
Three colleagues search for treasure and fight to protect it from nefarious hunters in Young’s novel.
Utah history professor Ammon Lundquist’s family has long been obsessed with the Lost Rhoades Mine; some of his loved ones have even died looking for its sacred gold. Ammon’s discovery of his German ancestor’s journal may be the key to finishing the Lundquists’ lengthy search. He first teams up with freelance tech consultant Jonas West to help decipher the journal’s copious symbols, which lead them to further clues and to such places as a Mormon temple. Eventually joining the two is park ranger Aspen Rhoades, whose ancestor was once partners with Ammon’s great-great-grandfather. The trio agrees that the mine, and whatever it holds, belongs to the Ute people. But they’re not the only seekers—far greedier parties have eyes on their activities and are willing to take what they want by force. Meanwhile, Ammon uncovers a startling secret involving his father and his uncle, both of whom were lost under mysterious circumstances. Young wastes no time kicking off this treasure-hunt story—Ammon uncovers important clues within the first 10 pages. It’s an entertaining adventure with three intriguing, tenacious characters at the helm. Both Ammon and Aspen (the latter uses they/them pronouns) hope to redeem their families for different reasons. Gleefully nerdy Jonas offers a touch of comic relief, fully acknowledging that he frequently complains (“It’s how I process stress”). The book has some compelling menaces, particularly one figure with past ties to Ammon, and other vague but constant threats that keep the tension taught, including a series of anonymous text messages. While the plot takes somewhat of a turn later in the book, the overall narrative remains focused and cohesive. The final act goes on for perhaps a bit too long, gradually wrapping up certain characters’ personal stories while leaving room for the sequels that follow.
A riveting tale of ciphers, camaraderie, and standing up to villainy.Pub Date: Dec. 23, 2025
ISBN: 9798241006769
Page Count: 350
Publisher: N/A
Review Posted Online: Feb. 24, 2026
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.
A lifetime’s worth of letters combine to portray a singular character.
Sybil Van Antwerp, a cantankerous but exceedingly well-mannered septuagenarian, is the titular correspondent in Evans’ debut novel. Sybil has retired from a beloved job as chief clerk to a judge with whom she had previously been in private legal practice. She is the divorced mother of two living adult children and one who died when he was 8. She is a reader of novels, a gardener, and a keen observer of human nature. But the most distinguishing thing about Sybil is her lifelong practice of letter writing. As advancing vision problems threaten Sybil’s carefully constructed way of life—in which letters take the place of personal contact and engagement—she must reckon with unaddressed issues from her past that threaten the house of cards (letters, really) she has built around herself. Sybil’s relationships are gradually revealed in the series of letters sent to and received from, among others, her brother, sister-in-law, children, former work associates, and, intriguingly, literary icons including Joan Didion and Larry McMurtry. Perhaps most affecting is the series of missives Sybil writes but never mails to a shadowy figure from her past. Thoughtful musings on the value and immortal quality of letters and the written word populate one of Sybil’s notes to a young correspondent while other messages are laugh-out-loud funny, tinged with her characteristic blunt tartness. Evans has created a brusque and quirky yet endearing main character with no shortage of opinions and advice for others but who fails to excavate the knotty difficulties of her own life. As Sybil grows into a delayed self-awareness, her letters serve as a chronicle of fitful growth.
An affecting portrait of a prickly woman.Pub Date: May 6, 2025
ISBN: 9780593798430
Page Count: 304
Publisher: Crown
Review Posted Online: Feb. 15, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 15, 2025
A dark and twisty look at just how far one woman is willing to go to find inspiration.
A struggling writer finds an unexpected muse when a mysterious man shows up at her cabin.
Petra Rose used to pump out a bestselling book every six months, but then the adaptation happened—that is, the disastrous film adaptation of her most famous book. The movie changed the book’s storyline so egregiously that fans couldn’t forgive her, and the ensuing harassment sent Petra into hiding and gave her a serious case of writer’s block. Petra’s one hope is her solo writing retreat at a remote cabin, where she can escape the distractions of real life and focus on her next book, a story about a woman having an affair with a cop. When officer Nathaniel Saint shows up at her cabin door, inspiration comes flooding back. Much like the character from Petra’s book, Saint is married, and he’s willing to be Petra’s muse, helping her get into her characters’ heads. Petra’s book is practically writing itself, but is the game she’s playing a little too dangerous? Does she know when to stop—and, more importantly, is Saint willing to stop? Hoover is no stranger to controversial movie adaptations and internet backlash, but she clarifies in a note to readers that she’s “just a writer writing about a writer” and that no further connections to her own life are contained in these pages—which is a good thing, because the book takes some horrifying twists and turns. Petra finds herself inexplicably attracted to Saint, even as she describes him as “such an asshole,” and her feelings for him veer between love and hate. The novel serves as a meta commentary on the dark romance genre—as Petra puts it, “Even though, as readers, we wouldn’t want to live out some of the fantasies we read about, it doesn’t mean we don’t enjoy reading those things.”
A dark and twisty look at just how far one woman is willing to go to find inspiration.Pub Date: Jan. 13, 2026
ISBN: 9781662539374
Page Count: -
Publisher: Montlake
Review Posted Online: Sept. 27, 2025
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Nov. 1, 2025
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