Doreen Sheridan

Professional book critic, amateur cellist, full-time polymath. Occasional game designer, perpetual game enthusiast. Mom of 3. Arsenal till I die. I like a good story. My other mystery reviews can be found here: https://www.criminalelement.com/author/dvaleris/

Most commented posts

  1. Deathless (Leningrad Diptych #1) by Catherynne M. Valente — 12 comments
  2. A Memory Called Empire (Teixcalaan #1) by Arkady Martine — 10 comments
  3. Sweet Tea by Piper Huguley — 7 comments
  4. The Love Report by BeKa & Maya — 7 comments
  5. I Was Told There’d Be Cake by Sloane Crosley — 6 comments

Author's posts

Piggy by Ann Hood & Anna Quaranta

Sweet but slight, almost like a condensed version of the Toy Story movies but with a lot less action. Piggy has belonged to their human ever since the little girl was a baby. Once upon a time, Piggy was pink, pristine and perky: the very epitome of a huggable, loveable stuffed animal. But being a …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2026/09/10/piggy-by-ann-hood-anna-quaranta/

Shroud by Adrian Tchaikovsky

This was the only Hugo Awards 2026 nominee for Best Novel that didn’t come in the Voter’s Packet, so I got on the waitlist for it at the library, thereby ensuring that I’d actually read the book this year, lol. So on the one hand, I was unsurprised that not being in the packet meant …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2026/09/09/shroud-by-adrian-tchaikovsky/

Art Attack (The Sherlock Society #3) by James Ponti

with a special shout-out to Yaoyao Ma Van As, who’s done an even better than usual job on the terrific cover. Young sleuth Alex Sherlock is absolutely stunned when one of the most popular girls in school sits down next to him and his best friend Yadi while they’re having lunch one day. He’s crestfallen …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2026/09/08/art-attack-the-sherlock-society-3-by-james-ponti/

Tantalizing Tales — September 2026 — Part One

Happy September, everybody! I genuinely don’t understand how this year has simultaneously felt so protracted yet also seemed to pass by in the blink of an eye. I’d put it down to my mystery illness but apparently, I’m not the only person I know who feels like this, so. If you’d like a less baffling …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2026/09/04/tantalizing-tales-september-2026-part-one/

Books, Iced Coffee & A Side Of Dragons by Amanda Lovelace & Raquel Trave

Sometimes, a sugar rush is exactly what you need to get you through the day. Books, Iced Coffee & A Side Of Dragons is the graphic novel equivalent of a fully loaded iced coffee that you know probably isn’t the healthiest choice for you but is, at least in the moment, a much-needed bit of …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2026/09/03/books-iced-coffee-a-side-of-dragons-by-amanda-lovelace-raquel-trave/

Pop Manga Myths And Monsters Coloring Book by Camilla d’Errico

I have really been in the mood to make low-commitment art lately, so what a pleasure it was to finally crack open this coloring book and give it a whirl! Camilla d’Errico is a fine artist globally renowned for her pop-surrealist oeuvre. Her vision translates beautifully to coloring books, of which this is her latest …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2026/09/02/pop-manga-myths-and-monsters-coloring-book-by-camilla-derrico/

As If by Isabel Waidner

Compellingly written but also so set on not being too weird — or, perhaps, in being decidedly ambiguous — that it feels oddly unsatisfying, especially to a genre enthusiast like myself. Aubrey Lewis is a forty-six year-old actor who’s sunk into a depression following the death of his wife Laurie. He subleases an apartment filled …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2026/09/01/as-if-by-isabel-waidner/

The Ghost In Cabin 13 by J.C. Phillipps

Is it just me or is the horror genre having a major resurgence this year? Perhaps it’s related to the growing phenomenon of Summerween and the accompanying marketing opportunities: it just feels like horror titles are making a bigger splash than usual lately. I, personally, have mixed feelings on the genre, even as I acknowledge …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2026/08/31/the-ghost-in-cabin-13-by-j-c-phillipps/

Tantalizing Tales — August 2026 — Part Four

I can’t believe August is already coming to a close, dear readers, or how cool it’s started getting out at night already. June and July were awfully hot, and I’m surprised August hasn’t been more of the same. While I’m glad it’s not worse, I’m also not super looking forward to colder weather already. One …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2026/08/28/tantalizing-tales-august-2026-part-four/

The Odyssey by Homer, translated by Emily Wilson

Even writing down the title of this post enrages me, because this entire experience has been an exercise in pedantry that makes me get all Ben Affleck exclaiming “Fictional characters!” in Jay And Silent Bob Strike Back. We at The Frumious Consortium don’t usually credit translators in post titles, but in this case it feels …

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Permanent link to this article: https://www.thefrumiousconsortium.net/2026/08/27/the-odyssey-by-homer-translated-by-emily-wilson/