Out of everything I've read from Seraphina Nova Glass, this was the hardest book to get through. It's not because of the chapters told from different characters' POVs; I enjoy books that give more than one perspective as the story goes along, I also felt for both Shelby and Mack throughout the story. The author also kept the true culprit's identity so well hidden that I had no clue who it could be (besides who it couldn't be) up until the final chapters. It was the fact that the pacing of the book was just too slow a burn for me. Other than that, if you enjoy murder mysteries where the culprit is impossible to guess, then this one is for you!

Nothing Ever Happens Here by Seraphina Nova Glass
✨ Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
💃🏼 Vibes: Reimagining Grumpy Old Men as a thriller.
📕 If you like ______, you’ll like this: Cozier thrillers; atmospheric reads
📖/🎧 Read Type: ARC (thank you to @netgalley, Seraphina Nova Glass, and Harlequin Trade Publishing!)

In a quiet Minnesota town, Shelby survives a mysterious, unsolved brutal attack. Fifteen months later, she receives a threatening note, signaling her nightmare isn't over. Her best friend, Mack, searches for her missing husband, uncovering financial secrets linking him to Shelby's attack. Independently, they investigate, as does a group of seniors at the group home Shelby manages. Their combined efforts reveal a sinister truth hidden beneath the town's tranquil surface.

Nothing Ever Happens Here was a super fun read that I devoured in two sittings. (This isn’t surprising because I love Seraphina Nova Glass’s writing style—On a Quiet Street was one of my favorite books in 2023.) The pacing was great and the mystery surrounding Shelby's attack and Mack's husband was extremely compelling. That said, some parts were a reach. If I had to name names, it was largely the group of senior citizens running a true crime podcast and being the key to solving the mystery that took me out of it. Further, I LOVE small town settings; it’s also my origin story. But because of that, I’m keenly aware that there’s no way Mack’s husband could have gotten away with several years of gambling and swindling without it being big news in every checkout line. Still, if you're able to suspend your disbelief and are looking for a page-turner that'll keep you guessing, this is it!

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Solid mystery thriller with a cozy type touch.

In a small Minnesota town two best friends are reeling from events that took place over a year ago. Shelby interrupted what might have been a burglary inside her friend’s cafe and was left to die. Suffering some frostbite amputations and trying to get herself back into a good place mentally, she’s shaken when a threatening note appears on the windshield of her car. Is he back? Meanwhile, Mack, the best friend, is broken and haunted because her husband, Leo, vanished the same night of Shelby’s attack. Bad things start happening to Shelby and the seniors at the rest home she manages rally around but no one knows who is responsible.

I liked the setting and the characters, especially the seniors. What a hoot. They interjected some fun moments and snarky humor into the story making the situation seem less ominous even though some seriously nasty stuff, including murder, was going on. I really liked those interactions. The story was a bit predictable and it was easy to guess who the bad guy was despite the red herrings and the dangled hints. The narrative shifted in point of view and the pace was fast.

I was able to listen to the audiobook while also following along in the e-book ARC, both provided by the publishers. The 3 female narrators did a nice job voicing their character parts with the appropriate dramatic flair and this enhanced my enjoyment of the book.

I recently started reading Seraphina Nova Glass, due to her popularity on bookstagram, and this is my first time reading one of her books pre-publication. I switched back and forth between my ebook and audio copies (thanks to @netgalley and @htp_hive for copies both in exchange for my honest opinion!), and finished reading it during my flight to DC yesterday morning. I love a short, direct morning flight, and I love how easy it is to get into the city after landing at DCA.
Nothing Ever Happens Here may be the title of this one, but there is a LOT that happens in this book! It started with a crazy hostage-type situation, and it was hard for me to put it down after that. The book takes place in small town Minnesota, which isn’t your typical contemporary book setting.
There are great side characters in this book, in particular some old-folk home residents who take it upon themselves to try to solve the mystery. I could see these characters getting along well with the characters in How to Age Disgracefully by Clare Pooley, as there is similar humor involved here.
I’m having trouble giving much of a summary for this book without giving away key parts of the mystery, so I’ll just say if you enjoy books set in small towns where the adage “nothing ever happens here” is NOT true, this book may be up your alley. I thought the audiobook was done well, and I recommend both forms of this one. It will be available on Tuesday, and I’m excited to add the author to my list of auto-read authors. If you haven’t checked out her blacklist, I recommend On a Quiet Street and The Vanishing Hour, but I’m still working my way through some of her previous releases.

This was a page turner! Within the first few chapters the action has already started and I was pulled in trying to figure out what is going on as the pressure on Shelby and Mack increases. I wasn't sure how everything would play out but I couldn't wait to see what happened.

We have three POVs - Mack, Shelby, and Florence who is one of the residents at the retirement home that Shelby manages. With Florence is a group of residents who genuinely care for Shelby and her family and desperately want to help. Each POV adds something to the case and I enjoyed each one which doesn't always happen with multi-POV books.

The pacing was good and really kept me hooked but one of the things that really kept me invested was that I liked most of the characters. They aren't perfect but they feel real and are people I wouldn't mind spending time with - especially the residents of the Ole. I'm a big fan of a mysteries where they put together an investigative team and this one had that in spades. I enjoyed this read from beginning to end. It was the right amount of thriller for me that had me riveted but not scared. I'm really looking forward reading more from this author.

Seraphina Nova Glass is one of my favorite thriller authors & her new book did not disappoint!

I was hooked from the very first chapter and I didn’t want to put it down! I didn’t find the writing to be too suspenseful, but it had so many good twists! It was also much wittier than I was expecting, and I actually laughed out loud throughout the book!

I also adored all of the characters at the senior living place and loved how much they were an integral part of solving the mystery! There were a lot of names to keep straight, but that’s just something I always have a difficult time with 🥲

I definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves The Thursday Murder Club and thrillers! This was such a good mystery to try and solve as you read & I didn’t predict the ending! It will be out on February 11th!

Thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this advanced copy! ✨

Seraphina never misses for me! This book had me hooked from the very beginning. I was so invested in what was going to happen next and absolutely adored the senior citizens. Although, I figured out the twist, it didn’t take away from me enjoying the book.

Thank you Netgalley & HTP Books for an eARC of Nothing Ever Happens Here by Seraphina Nova Glass! She is an absolute auto-buy author of mine, so I had to push this book right to the top of my TBR. This book follows MC Shelby, who survives an attack and is trying to move on with her life with her family. But, 15 months after, a mysterious note echoing the words of her attacker brings everything back to the surface. Mack, Shelby's best friend - is also trying to get past this night, but for a different reason. Her husband vanished without a trace on that same night, and nobody knows why.

Read this one if you enjoy -
-Small town with big drama, twisty mystery vibes
-Snowy setting, perfect for a winter read
-A group of rowdy, silly senior citizens getting in on the detective work (yes, this is my favorite part of the book!)

This book was all of the things I didn't know I needed - Opening with a chilling attack, a silly group of senior citizens starting their very own true-crime podcast - and a twist that I didn't see coming. As always, I can't wait to see what this author comes up with next.

Seraphina Nova Glass is such an underrated thriller author! I really enjoyed The Vacancy in Room 10 and The Vanishing Hour. The characters of her books are always so fun and entertaining. This book is told from multiple POV's but it's done in a flawless way. The best part, it starts off with a bang and continues to hold my attention throughout the book!
Shelby lives in Minnesota and is trying to put her life back together. A year ago she was attacked, she was left for dead.
She gets an anonymous threatening note. Her best friend, Mack, husband also disappeared the night of her attack. Are they related? Is her husband involved? Someone else is now missing. Oh and my favorite part is the cast of eccentric senior citizens at the home where Shelby works investigating new evidence and making a podcast. Yes, you have to suspend disbelief to truly enjoy this book. Sit back, relax and enjoy the read. This book has it all and I highly recommend you pick it up!

When I sat down to read this I didn't expect to finish it in one day. This is now one of my favorite cat-and-mouse-chase thrillers.

5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Set in a small Minnesotan town, we are following three different women's perspectives of Shelby and Mack, who are best friends, and Florence, a resident at the local retirement community. The book begins with a tragic incident when Shelby is assaulted during a burglary at Mack's café. That same night, Mack's husband disappears without a trace. Shelby and Mack try to move on, and now a year later Shelby can't help but feel she's being followed and watched by the same person who assaulted her. Meanwhile, Mack begins to discover her loving husband was hiding a dark secret and is not who she believed him to be. Florence cannot ignore the itch to bring justice to Shelby's attacker and possibly find Mack's husband. So, she and several other residents at the retirement community decide to start a true crime podcast detailing the events from that fateful night a year ago, and bring to light the current danger both women could be in.

"Nothing Ever Happens Here" is written from multiple perspectives and I enjoyed how this pieced together the mystery. There is an element of humor woven throughout which surprised me. The banter from the ragtag retirement community friend group had me giggling and their quirkiness added a playfulness to this otherwise dark thriller. The pacing was always moving the story forward and at no point did I become disinterested or zone out. There are multiple heart-pounding intense scenes that felt raw and believable. Glass's writing also had great dialogue between characters, and despite there being so many characters, the characterization for each person made the story more realistic.

I enjoyed the small town wintery setting. If you are a chronic mood reader like I am, I would recommend reading this during the colder months. I also really enjoyed the retirement community friends humor. Their banter was perfect, and I loved every scene with them. The cat-and-mouse-chase trope is one of my favorites and the storyline was well executed.

The ending was slightly predictable, but I didn't mind it. It wrapped the story up nicely and I felt satisfied with how the clues were pieced together.

I would recommend this book if you also enjoyed:
- The Last Word by Taylor Adams
- All Good People Here by Ashley Flowers
- Zero Days by Ruth Ware

Thank you NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for this digital ARC. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Pub day: February 11

Dang, this started with such a crazy first chapter, I was shook and hooked! The first half of this was super strong and I loved the variety of characters. I crushed through the first 60% in a days time but then it unfortunately dragged.

I think they could’ve easily edited out one particular event to make this much quicker and engaging. There was also a lot of over-the-top dramatic moments happening so by the end I thought “really? More of this?”.

If you love a thriller that asks you to suspend belief you’ll probably enjoy this one. It was a great start but puttered so lands around 3.25⭐️.

Thanks to The Hive for the arc.

I absolutely love small-town thrillers, and this one delivered everything I could have hoped for and more. There’s something uniquely compelling about a close-knit community where everyone knows each other—or thinks they do. When a crime disrupts the quiet rhythm of life, it sends shockwaves through the entire town, and suddenly, everyone has a theory, a secret, or a stake in uncovering the truth. This book nails that atmosphere perfectly, blending the cozy familiarity of small-town life with the chilling unease of a lurking threat.

The story kicks off with a bang—literally. In the first chapter, the peaceful veneer of this quaint town is shattered by a horrifying crime. Mack, a devoted wife and loyal friend, is thrust into a nightmare when her husband goes missing on the same night her best friend, Shelby, is brutally attacked and left for dead. The dual tragedy binds Mack and Shelby together in their grief and determination to find answers, but the mystery only deepens as time goes on. Fast forward a year and a half, and just when they think the danger has passed, eerie signs suggest the threat has returned. The tension is palpable, and the stakes feel intensely personal, which kept me hooked from the very beginning.

What really sets this book apart, though, is its cast of characters. Mack and Shelby are compelling protagonists—strong, resourceful, and deeply human. Their friendship feels authentic, and their shared trauma adds layers of emotional depth to their quest for justice. But the real show-stealer for me was Florence, the sharp-witted retiree living her best life at Oleander’s, the local retirement facility. Florence is an absolute gem—smart, sassy, and unapologetically curious. She refuses to sit on the sidelines and instead takes it upon herself to investigate the mystery, rallying her fellow retirees to join her. Her determination and humor bring a refreshing energy to the story, and I found myself rooting for her every step of the way.

What I admired most about all the characters is their resilience. Fear is a constant presence in the story—after all, there’s a killer on the loose, and no one knows who to trust—but none of the characters let that fear paralyze them. Instead, they channel it into action, whether it’s Mack and Shelby following their own leads, Florence and her friends conducting their own sleuthing, or the townspeople banding together to protect their community. Their courage and tenacity make the story not just a thrilling ride, but also an inspiring one.

The pacing is fantastic—it’s a quick read, but it never feels rushed. The author does a brilliant job of balancing suspense with character development, dropping just enough clues to keep you guessing without giving too much away. The mystery is layered and complex, with twists that kept me on the edge of my seat. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, another revelation would throw me off course. The final act is a rollercoaster of emotions, with heart-pounding action and a resolution that’s both satisfying and thought-provoking.

Overall, this book hits all the right notes for a small-town thriller. It’s got the perfect blend of mystery, suspense, and heart, with a cast of characters who feel like real people you’d want to know. If you’re a fan of stories where the setting feels like a character in itself, where the stakes are high, and where ordinary people rise to the occasion in extraordinary ways, this is the book for you. I can’t recommend it enough—it’s a must-read for anyone who loves a good thriller with a strong sense of community and a dash of heartwarming humanity.

Thank you to Seraphina Nova Glass, Harlequin Trade Publishing, and Netgalley for the arc of Nothing Ever Happens Here! Multiple POV thriller read! Disappearance and possible killer on the loose! Mystery/tension pulls you in from the beginning! Loved the senior characters personalities!! I read The Vacancy in Room 10 and loved it, so requested the arc of this book by the same author! This book publishes on 2/11/25! In the meantime check out The Vacancy in Room 10!

Unfortunately, this book just didn’t work for me. There were too many characters and I never felt a real connection to any of them. The plot itself fell flat for me, which made the book drag. I kept waiting for something to pull me in, but it never really happened. Overall, it was just kind of boring, and I found myself pushing through just to finish.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC in exchange for an honest opinion.

A thriller with a little bit of humor was exactly what I needed but didn’t know I wanted. This is as a fairly quick read but the audio kept me very engaged. The story itself had so many twists and turns but I’m obsessed with the senior citizen group who sniffs out the killer. Also as someone from a small town where it feels like nothing ever happens in, this story was very relatable.

Shelby Dawson survives an attack that should have left her dead, She is still suffering from PTSD from the attack when the notes start arriving, warning her what will happen if she says anything about the night of the attack. Shelby's best friend Mackenzie is going through her own personal turmoil - ever since her husband disappeared she has discovered she didn't really know him after all. Now she is on the brink of losing everything, thanks to him. When new evidence surfaces, a group of well-meaning senior citizens from the home Shelby manages accidentally makes the case go viral online. And with suspicious accidents targeting those closest to her happening all over town, Shelby can’t shake the feeling that she’s being watched. Fighting to stay one step ahead of disaster, she finds herself asking the question on everyone’s lips: Who attacked her that night?

I loved this book. The mystery kept me guessing until almost the very end, and there was a plethora of likable characters. I loved the group of amateur detectives from the senior living center. One of them already had a podcast where he talked about literature and he had a huge following. Millie, after deciding she needed a hobby and rejecting al of the other suggestions, decided to do a podcast about their friend's murder in the hospital and how it linked to Shelby's attack. Unfortunately, she was very technically-challenged, and not at all up on the latest phrases. I thought I would die when Mort & Herb tried to explain that "going viral" was a good thing and not like going around with pink-eye, and "a Karen" was not just someone named Karen that they knew. If you love a good mystery that will also leave you laughing, then look no further.

Oh goodness…. I know this has gotten a lot of raving reviews but of course I am on Kendall’s outlier island.

I have to say this probably was one of the corniest and cheesy thrillers I’ve read in awhile. I honestly was cringing with this one. The dialogue was pretty bad between the characters.

This book wasn’t for me sadly.

1.5/5 stars

4.25/5⭐️

A big thank you to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review! Nothing Ever Happens Here by Seraphina Nova Glass releases on February 11th.

You should read this book if you enjoy:
- Senior citizens solving murders 🔍
- Wholesome friendships 🫶🏻
- Small-town thrillers ❄️
- Thrillers with multiple POVs 🔪

This was such a great read! I adored the characters, especially Florence and the rest of the seniors 🥹 The mystery really kept me hooked, and while the twist wasn’t a huge surprise, I loved how it was executed. The highlight for me was definitely the adorable friendships between “the gang,” Shelby, and Mack.

If you sometimes struggle with keeping track of a story with multiple characters, I recommend highlighting or jotting down notes as you go!

Side note: If you enjoyed The Thursday Murder Club you’ll definitely love Nothing Ever Happens Here!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc/alc.

Seraphina Nova Glass is back with another twisty thriller. I really enjoyed this one! I did not find this book to be predictable at all, compared to some thriller books that I read. I liked the three main women characters, but I also loved the supporting characters like the ones at the nursing home. As for the audiobook, which was narrated by Brittany Pressley; Stacey Glemboski, and Petrea Burchard, I thought these three women did a great job with the narration and I would love to see them collaborate on another audiobook in the future! While this may not be my favorite Seraphina Nova Glass book, I still thought it was a really great and exciting thriller with many twists and turns. I definitely recommend this book if you are looking for a fast paced thriller!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc/alc.

I honestly was so confused the entire time. I just didn’t really enjoy it. I won’t be posting a review