February 20, 2026
These are the Fireworks, by Vicki Grant
Oh, wow, this comedy murder mystery is one heck of a ride, full of twists and turns, moments of real poignancy, and abject absurdity. Celebrated YA and middle grade author Vicki Grant makes an assured debut for adult readers with These Are the Fireworks, a story about a family thrown into disarray after the death of its patriarch, but just not for the reasons you’d think. After the unexpected death of Nina Fforde’s father, Malcolm, her mother, Petra, begins acting bizarrely, dressing differently, hardly beset by grief at all, and possibly cavorting with a much-younger man. Nina herself decides to throw off her listless relationship, and move back home to help care for her mother—but Petra seems hardly concerned with being there for her grown daughters. Plus there’s a detective sniffing around suggesting that Malcolm’s death may not have been an accident. Come for the wacky story, but stay for the amazing family dynamics (including spectacular dialogue) between Nina and her two sisters. This one is great.
(This is one of four books featured in my latest “On Our Radar” column at 49thShelf. Check the whole thing out here!)
