Genre: Mystery thriller

Release date: October 20, 2026

Goodreads rating: 4.37

My rating: 3.5

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I love a story that gives older women a chance to be the badass characters, and The Throwaways certainly delivers on that front. Add in family secrets, international spies, and creepy dolls, and you have a pretty intriguing premise!

This story follows the Calloway women after Aster sells her grandmother’s music box, unknowingly exposing a list of defected KGB operatives. What seems like a simple sale quickly puts the entire family in danger.

I enjoyed that the story was told in three POVs: Aster, her mom Poppy, and her grandmother Iris. As the story unfolds, the women uncover truths about one another and their family’s connection to the KGB and I found it interesting to see how their individual histories and past experiences shaped their personalities and (complicated) relationships with each other today.

I also enjoyed the little bits of banter between the characters, which added humor and personality to the story.

Overall, it’s an entertaining, slightly offbeat (even a little cozy) spy thriller with a fun cast of women who know how to take charge!

Thank you to Sideways Books and Netgalley for granting me an advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

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