John Staughton, Senior Reviewer | Self-Publishing Review

Review: Urban Justice (Vigilante Justice Book 2) by John Etzil

Things can change fast in a small town, and a few weeks after Jack Lamburt handles the initial drama at The Red Barn and the violent fallout from the mafia, trouble is still lingering on the horizon. Urban Justice, the second novel in the Vigilante Justice series by John Etzil, picks up right where the first left off, welcoming back eager readers to Lamburt’s unique form of justice.

The sister of the Sheriff’s bartending lover is still missing, and despite using all the formidable tools at his disposal, Jack keeps coming up short. Inevitably, he has to leave the […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-05-02T06:37:54+02:00February 27th, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Thriller Book Reviews|

Review: Silent Spring – Deadly Autumn of the Vietnam War by Patrick Hogan

As one of the darkest periods in America history, the Vietnam War continues to fascinate new generations. In Silent Spring – Deadly Autumn of the Vietnam War, author Patrick Hogan pulls back another curtain on that brutal conflict, and the battles that it is still causing today.

Many people are cursorily familiar with the devastating use of chemical weapons in Vietnam by the American military, including the widespread application of napalm and Agent Orange in defoliation campaigns. Savagely effective, but relatively untested, this attack strategy by America remains one of the dark marks on US history.

In this book, […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-02-21T06:17:45+02:00February 23rd, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: History Book Reviews, Memoir Book Reviews, Military Book Reviews|

Tropical Doubts by David Myles Robinson

In Tropical Doubts, the third legal thrill ride from author David Myles Robinson, the lovable Pancho McMartin is back in the courtroom, and back at the heart of a tangled murder mystery.

When old friends come begging him for legal help, it’s hard for this down-on-his-luck lawyer to refuse, but this case of medical malpractice is anything but normal. As the body count begins to rise and lies become muddied with truth, this unlikely hero will have to do his own investigating to discover where the guilt should lie. With a well-balanced plot and plenty of moving parts, this […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-02-11T12:10:05+02:00February 10th, 2019|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Legal Thriller Book Reviews, Thriller Book Reviews|

The Request for Lambency by ileso DMC

Although there are many different belief structures surrounding religion in the world, one underlying theme remains quite constant: “You can’t take it with you.” However, what if some greater power suddenly changed that rule? In The Request for Lambency, a visionary new YA novel by ileso Dmc, readers are whisked off to a near future where people can, in fact, take one thing into the afterlife with them.

This development obviously creates a mania all across the globe, a craze that feels all too possible in this age of viral desperation to make it big, and the modern propensity […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-02-11T12:11:16+02:00February 10th, 2019|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Science Fiction Book Reviews, Speculative Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: The Sandbox by JW Patrick

An intense and unpredictable adventure set against a rich narrative landscape, The Sandbox by JW Patrick is a memorable new work of YA science fiction. When three young teenagers’ lives collide after a mysterious impact event, their worlds are thrown into a fascinating and potentially dangerous spiral driven by forces beyond their control or understanding.

The focal characters of this novel – Isla, Sonny and Dan – make for a brilliant trio of protagonists wrestling with powers they had previously thought were impossible. When they discover a world – The Sandbox – where they can do anything they want in […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-03-11T12:37:04+02:00January 27th, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Young Adult Book Reviews|

Review: The Scent of Distant Worlds by W.D. County

Leaving behind all you have known for worlds that humans have never seen may sound like a grand and honorable adventure, but troubles – both internal and external – are bound to arise. In The Scent of Different Worlds by W.D. County, the crew of The Far Traveler is on a mission to explore an inhabitable world in the Goldilocks Zone, a potential new home that can support life, but the sacrifices they must make are daunting no matter where or when you’re from.

The crew has the opportunity to explore some of the first intelligent life forms to have […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-01-28T12:07:27+02:00January 26th, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Science Fiction Book Reviews|

Infinity: The Secret of the Diamonds by Tejas Mathai

Every family has its secrets, but for Jack Stone, the hidden parts of his family and his father’s ambitious inventions could very well change the course of the universe. In Infinity: The Secret of the Diamonds, young author Tejas Mathai welcomes readers into a world of fantasy and magic, unraveling a sci-fi thriller that pulls from all the best parts of various popular genres, both past and present.

Jack Stone always knew that his father was a brilliant man, but when a team of otherworldly defenders ends up on Earth with a clear interest in his family, this 18-year-old […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-01-21T12:45:48+02:00January 18th, 2019|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Science Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: Quigsnip: The Untold Tale of Charles Dickens’ Oliver Twist by Sean Phillips

It takes an impressive amount of confidence to write a sequel to a Charles Dickens novel, given his titanic status in the history of English literature. In Quigsnip, author Sean Phillips expands a seemingly insignificant detail from Charles Dickens’ classic Oliver Twist and delivers an entire novel in his legendary style.

Following Oliver Twist’s near-death experience and the subsequent discovery that he was a son of the aristocracy, his life has changed in innumerable ways. He is no longer begging for extra gruel, nor is he struggling to make ends meet in the criminal underbelly of London. Even so, […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-03-05T12:28:07+02:00January 18th, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Historical Fiction Book Reviews|