“Edward unlocked a drawer of his desk where he kept valuables, opened it, and withdrew the Buck knife Amelia had given him a few days after he’d turned eighteen, about a month before they were to be married. He stared straight ahead, feeling its weight in his hand. He looked down at the knife, opened it, and scraped his finger lightly across the blade. Still sharp. He had used it for only a month, but after Amelia left him at the altar, he stored it away, rarely touching it. Today, however, he wanted to remember the pain.”
― One More Life to Live
― One More Life to Live
“Maybe that’s how it has to be. Maybe there is no diplomatic solution for this? Perhaps one of them has to die?”
― The Companions
― The Companions
“Now I gazed out of my office window. Slowly the world was changing from old-gold to the deep purple which, in the words of that dreamy song Mum was fond of humming, bathes garden walls under the twinkle of starlight.”
― The Erkeley Shadows
― The Erkeley Shadows
“This evening I spied her in the back orchard. I decided to sacrifice one of my better old shirts and carried it out to her. The weather’s been warm of late. Buds on the apple trees are ready to burst. Usually by this time of the year, at that time of day, the back orchard is full of screaming children. Damut’s boys were the only two. They were on the terrace below her, running through the slanted sunlight, chasing each other around tree trunks. She stood above them, like a merlin watching rabbits play.”
― Sheever's Journal, Diary of a Poison Master
― Sheever's Journal, Diary of a Poison Master
“Mary stared at the dreamlike happenings on the page. Human figures faced each other; the man’s head was a golden ball with rays reaching up to huge stars and out to the distant mountains; the woman’s silver head was sickle-shaped and surrounded by birds like eagles with white beaks. Some of the black letters glowed because they had tips like tiny flames.”
― The Alchemy Fire Murder
― The Alchemy Fire Murder
Donnell’s 2025 Year in Books
Take a look at Donnell’s Year in Books, including some fun facts about their reading.
More friends…
Favorite Genres
Polls voted on by Donnell
Lists liked by Donnell






















