Christina Boyd reviews debut authors Elizabeth Watson’s Rise of Scarlett Heroux . It begins with a gut punch and never loosens its grip. Set in Soleil—a sleek, modern fantasy world where magic is outlawed and politics are lethal—the novel opens with Scarlett Heroux witnessing her father’s assassination and being forced into his parliamentary seat before she’s had time to grieve.

Christina Boyd reviews the new release A MOST PUZZLING MURDER by Bianca Marais: a bit like Succession meets Knives Out with all the family drama and secrets, but what makes it stand out is that readers get to solve riddles right along with Destiny. Each chapter switches between different family members’ viewpoints, adding layers to the mystery.

INTERVIEW by Christina Boyd: Bianca Marais is the cohost of popular podcast The Shit No One Tells You About Writing and bestselling author