This episode kicks off with the spectacle of male-centric one-star reviews, a fascinating ecosystem where disgruntled dudes, some of which are "Authors" with deeply mediocre Goodreads ratings who feel uniquely qualified to mansplain crime fiction to Nora Roberts. From there, we descend into the wonderfully unhinged world of two, three, and four star reviews, one of which gives us a whole list of "Things that happen in Every In Death Book," including how Roarke gives Eve “Meat, both kinds" Followed by a review that mentions how there's always a possibility of “Meaty Juicy Goodness,” to which AJ couldn't help herself and like Michael Scott ("The Office") just had to say: "That's what she said".

Fortunately, the show and our faith in Author Humanity is fully restored by Allison Brennan and Silver James, who remind us what thoughtful, enthusiastic, competent reviews look like.

Also: we take a moment to celebrate the release of our 2026 Podcast in Death Calendar, now available in our Merch Store (https://podcast-in-death-merch.printify.me/), because scheduling your life is always easier with a little futuristic homicide energy. And finally, because it wouldn’t be an episode without a delightful derailment, AJ closes things out with a completely unexpected family recipe drop featuring roast, tomato sauce, and green olives—proving once again that anything can happen on this show.

Enjoy!