I highly recommend these Minotaur samplers to anyone who loves mysteries. With so many publications to choose from, I find it difficult to get a sense of the action from cover blurbs and publisher descriptions alone. Reading just a few chapters provides enough immersion to determine whether a book is for me. Tasting these five options piqued my interest in new-to-me authors and mystery types. From cozier tomes such as Savvy Summers and the Sweet Potatoe Crime and The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective to grittier thrillers by Erin Dunn, Gillian French, and Arthur Sullivan, there's a bit of something for everyone in this collection. I've already added a couple to my TBR. Thanks to NetGalley and Minotaur Books for Volume 14!

Note: Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced reader copy of this book. This review will also be posted on NetGalley. What follows is my unbiased review of the book.

I was intrigued by a title that promised to introduce me to five writers I’d never read before. I’d seen these samplers available before on NetGalley and thought I would enjoy testing them out. Realistically, I’d rather read the books themselves than this sampler. The book comes in at just 203 pages, which means each book gets about 40 pages to whet the appetite.

He’s To Die For is a police procedural about a gay NYC detective. It has potential. Savvy Summers and Sweet Potato Crimes tackles a mystery in Chicago. The sampler here never actually established that the one character was murdered, but I’m pretty sure it was headed in that direction, with the impetus on the female lead character to solve it. Shaw Connelly Lives to Tell has a female protagonist trying to solve her sister’s disappearance. Out of the five samples, this was the one I felt I would be most likely to buy. The Witch’s Orchard takes place in the mountains of North Carolina as the protagonist takes a new look at a decades-old case of three missing young girls. Finally, The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective is a cozy mystery where a group of tenants rally to save their landlady.

The only one I felt was shortchanged was Savvy Summers and Sweet Potato Crimes. It isn’t established that the one character was murdered by the time I finished the sampler. Reading the blurb, of course, that’s it, but it isn’t obvious at this point, nor did it rope me in. The other four were good samples, and I could see finishing any of them.

These samplers can be purchased, but I would much rather just pick one of the books and go with it than buy the sampler and then decide to buy one or more of the books. If you have Kindle Unlimited, this is available for free, and I think it’s worth it to invest some time in that way to see if you’d like any or all of these stories.

I love these samplers. I have already read two of the books sampled here. One I really loved and one I didn't love as much.
He's to Die For was a solid 4 star mystery romance. I loved it.
Shaw Connolly Lives to Tell wasn't really for me. There were character inconsistencies that made the story unbelievable.
Of the remaining three I am most interested in The Witch's Orchard. But can't wait to read the other two as well.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this sampler of upcoming books!

This is a good introduction to several series. I am going to have to check many of these out in the future.

🔍 Mini Review: Minotaur Sampler Volume 14

This sampler is like a murder mystery charcuterie board—bite-sized, full of flavor, and leaves you hungry for more. Volume 14 gives you a taste of some thrilling new voices and gripping stories coming out of Minotaur Books. A perfect way to test-drive future favorites—whether you love twisty thrillers, cozy mysteries, or heart-racing suspense, there's something here to hook you.

Warning: your TBR pile is about to get dangerously longer. 🕵️‍♀️📚

I was provided an advanced reader copy of the Minotaur Sampler. This in no way affected my review.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective preview. I like all the different characters and look forward to reading it. I also enjoyed The Witch's Orchard preview. I enjoy the Appalachian Mountain setting I get engrossed in reading about missing pe0ple. I will certainly look forward to reading this one. The remaining 3 books were not my cup of tea. Though they were still engaging reads.

I love these samplers and there are so many great authors included! I was mostly interested in this volume because of He's to Die For, which has been on my radar for a while and sounds so fun. I have the full ARC and I think I'll be reading it next!

Thank you to the authors and Minotaur books for providing a free ARC in exchange for my review.

These are always a great way to test out some new books to know which you want to put on your list! This is a collection of 6 books coming out this season

Savvy Summers and the Sweet Potato Crimes by Sandra Jackson-Opoku and The Witch's Orchard by Archer Sullivan have caught my eye and I'll be watching for those! But I must say, I'd like to see how they all end.

4 stars.

As always, a great way to discover new authors! I'm especially looking forward to reading the Marigold Cottages Murder Collective.

For someone like me who reads and reviews books for authors and publishers I wish I had started looking at these sooner. It’s really easy to miss some amazing books with new ones added to the site each day.

This was a great sample of upcoming books. I was lucky enough to have already been approved for “Savvy Summers and the Sweet Potato Crimes”. I did request “He’s to Die For” (and was approved today). I also was really enjoying reading “The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective” and requested that book also.

I have never tried the samplers before, but I’m glad I did. I would have missed out on what seem to be some great debut novels.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Publishing Group for #The Minotaur SamplerVol14

A great overview of five upcoming releases. I don't generally read much outside of fantasy these days so it was helpful to get suggestions for other genres. I liked that this included a synopsis and enough chapters to really decide if you are interested or not. I found a few titles to add to my TBR, particularly He's to Die For. I will definitely look at these overviews in the future.

Thank you to NetGalley & St. Martins Press for The Minotaur Sampler Volume 14!

I love that they put these together. This includes generous samples of the following:

He’s to Die For–Erin Dunn
Shaw Connolly Lives to Tell–Gillian French
Savvy Summers and the Sweet Potato Crimes–Sandra Jackson-Opoku
The Witch’s Orchard–Archer Sullivan
The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective–Jo Nichols

I was waiting to read the Marigold Cottages Murder Collective summary before requesting the full book and I am glad I did! While I did enjoy the sample, I think my TBR is full enough at the moment!

I love these samplers! A great way to know if you can’t live without a book before committing.

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress

Titles:

He’s to Die For–Erin Dunn

Shaw Connolly Lives to Tell–Gillian French

Savvy Summers and the Sweet Potato Crimes–Sandra Jackson-Opoku

The Witch’s Orchard–Archer Sullivan

The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective–Jo Nichols


Of all the titles - I’m definitely watching for The Witch’s Orchard!

Thanks so much to the authors included in this sampler, the publisher, St. Martin's Press (Minotaur) for the opportunity to read through. I really enjoyed several selections in this sampler and requested the galley because I couldn't wait to read more! I love these samplers as they give me a much better idea of whether I will like the whole book. Fortunately, I found a couple that really interested me. Looking forward to reading those and providing feedback later on. Thanks again!

I read the introduction sample for He's to Die For by Erin Dunn which is what caught my eye. I immediately downloaded the book. This is such a witty and fun read so far with a side of murder, all things I love in a story. I immediately like Rav and am intrigued by Vale. I wonder if we will also get any of the story from Vale's POV. This promises to be a super fun read and I need more immediately.

I love when publishers give you little teasers of books, especially ones that aren't originally on my radar! Thank you St. Martin's Press & NetGalley for the sampler.

He's to Die For - I love sprinkling in Romance or Mysteries in between my Fantasy reads and this is one that immediately now went on my TBR. The blurb had me hooked and I 100% vibed with Dunn's writing style in the three chapters provided. Luckily I don't have to wait long until the pub date!

Savvy Summers and the Sweet Potato Crimes - The blurb had me intrigued and then the minute I turned the page and the first Chapter had "Help Me, Obi-Wan Kenobi" as part of the header, I knew I also needed to add it to my TBR. The first four chapters were full of great dialogue and I look forward to grabbing this debut novel!

Shaw Connolly Lives to Tell - The premise of a thriller with the main character part of a crime team - count me in. I've been looking for another book to read after finishing my current crime related series (Forensic Instincts - Andrea Kane). I've also heard good things about Gillian French, but hadn't picked up anything yet - now I have even more of a reason to.

The Witch's Orchard - The blurb - sounds right up my alley, but maybe a little too close to home as I do live in a mountain town. The descriptive writing drew me in from the first chapter, really creating the scene. I didn't expect to add every title from this sampler to my TBR going in but...looks like that's the case because after four chapters I want to know where the story is going! :)

The Marigold Cottages Murder Collective - This title I've heard of prior to this sampler as I am a HUGE fan of Only Murders in the Building. Nichol's writing style is a little outside my normal comfort zone - too many characters to jump between, but perhaps when I'm truly in the zone I would end up finding it easier to follow!

I always love these samplers! Five blurbs and excerpts from upcoming debut mystery series! He’s to Die For caught my attention and I grabbed an ARC!

Thank you Minotaur and NetGalley!

Samplers are such a great way for me to decide whether or not to request ARCs of upcoming titles. I make a point to read every ARC I request and receive, so the chance to read the beginning before I do so really helps me make informed decisions.

I am especially excited to read the thriller Shaw Connolly Lives to Tell, by Gillian French, and after reading the beginning, my suspicion that I'd love it has been confirmed.

Thank you to Minotaur and NetGalley for allowing me to review this sampler.

I always look forward to this because it helps me decide my next read. I am especially excited about The Witches Orchard. Please keep these samplers coming!

It’s rare to feel that invested after just a few chapters, but these debuts make it look effortless.