John Staughton, Senior Reviewer

A young Polish immigrant trapped in an abusive marriage in rural Wyoming finds the strength within herself – and her family – to fight for freedom in A Time for Reckoning by Neil Turner. Supported by Grazyna’s uncle from Chicago and his sharp-tongued partner Penelope, this is a character-driven thriller that fearlessly reveals the dark corners of human nature – misogyny, greed, violence, power, and control. Driven by strong dialogue, unpredictable twists, and more than a dash of colloquial country charm, this savagely honest novel is a stellar addition to the Toni Valenti Thriller series.

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A cave-dwelling architect hiding a horrifying secret collides with AJ Conti, a dauntless investigator who knows how to take a hit, in Casualty of Innocence by James A. Bacca. A swirling and sinister story of child trafficking, murder, dangerous manipulators, and the lengths we go to protect those we love, this novel has a triggering edge, while also being timely and powerful. In a serial killer thriller, much of the tension depends on nuanced dialogue and subtle narration, which Bacca puppeteers masterfully. There are exchanges where the prose feels heavy-handed or too leading, but overall this thrilling drama is a […]

A thought-provoking guide for people seeking to examine their own spiritual progress, Who Cares? by Dr. Melita J. Murray-Carney is a self-help book proposing timeless questions and subtle wisdom from a devoutly Christian perspective. As a devotional journal, this book requires direct engagement, encouraging readers to learn their own lessons and discover their own revelations through personal reflection and writing, which should help inspire and renew faith. Unlike so many other anecdotal self-help guides with vague proclamations, the devotional focus of this journal gives the reader a more far-reaching focus for self-improvement, and in a wholly welcoming way. Though the […]

Athens Ophelia: Night of the Festival by Zachary Aneiress is the second star-crossed installment of this entertaining, otherworldly series, pitting the high stakes of high-school drama against the sinister schemes of power-hungry gods. Between learning how to fly, getting lost in virtual reality, digging into his divine origins, navigating the jeers of schoolyard bullies, and outmaneuvering Lucifer himself, Aneiress barely has time to keep his hair looking great, but he remains a unique and fascinating protagonist at the center of this original series. That said, the snappy dialogue and the magical mysteries of this spiraling adventure are interrupted by sloppy […]

Author Zachary Aneiress introduces the world to a modern-day mythological superhero in Athens Ophelia: The Misadventures of Growing Up Extraordinary. Featuring stream-of-consciousness, deeply colloquial narration that immerses readers in the mind of this one-of-a-kind protagonist, the story explores societal stigmas and marginalized groups in a timely way, while also flinging madly into the mystical realm of YA fiction. However, the writing needs a serious editorial overhaul, with misspelled words, missing apostrophes, incorrect homonym use, and other issues, making it difficult not to be pulled out of this tale, imaginative as it may be. While the potential for this series is […]