John Staughton, Senior Reviewer

Review: Keiko by Bernie Donnelly

Keiko by Bernie Donnelly

When life slips into a deep, spiraling rut, pulling yourself out can be difficult, but it always helps when an exotic and unexpected stranger falls into your path. In Keiko by Bernie Donnelly, two people from opposite sides of the world find one another and find a fresh spark of possibility for happiness.

Bruce Stevens is an exhausted CPA with a marriage careening off the rails, while Keiko is a mysterious Japanese woman who needs some tax matters handled in the lonely town of Sarasota. This unlikely meeting intoxicates Bruce, who sees Keiko as a chance to start the next […]

The Story of Evil – Volume I: Heroes of the Siege by Tony Johnson

In the tradition of classic fantasy, the first volume of The Story of Evil by Tony Johnson is a remarkably creative and engaging novel that introduces readers to a new world of magical creatures, noble heroes, and sinister monsters.

When the capital of the kingdom, Celestial, is attacked by savage monsters in the midst of a jousting tournament, the balance of good and evil takes a shift towards darkness. Three young adventurers – Ty, Steve and Kari – must rise to the occasion, far beyond their youthful experience, to protect the home they love and turn the tide against the […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2018-01-25T09:48:08+02:00January 24th, 2018|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Fantasy Book Reviews|

Review: Revelations 12:12 by David de Freitas

Blending family tragedy with possible Satanic forces and a brutal homicide makes for an exciting premise in Revelations 12:12 by David de Freitas. Through careful storytelling and a healthy dose of suspense, this novel is a slow-burning thriller with enough twists to keep even veteran readers guessing.

Simon is a young boy born under slightly mysterious circumstances to a kind and cursed woman named Martha, whose husband dies before the child’s first birthday. Shadowing the boy throughout his early years is Dr. Brockman, a quiet and eccentric character who seems cloaked in secrecy. From the day Simon was born to […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-01-22T05:45:25+02:00January 23rd, 2018|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Paranormal Book Reviews, Thriller Book Reviews|

Plagued: Book One: The Girl Who Chased The Shadows by Garrison Scott

In Plagued: The Girl Who Chased the Shadows, by Garrison Scott, readers are introduced to a world that has been irrevocably changed by an alien asteroid that destroyed all semblance of normalcy on Earth. More interestingly is the main character, Skyler, who is infected with an alien pathogen moments before the asteroid makes its deadly impact. This isn’t a normal infection, however, and as it begins to transform the infected survivors, the division and fear among those still alive becomes a new battle for survival.

The novel flows at a rapid clip and the characters are rugged and well-defined, […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-01-22T05:36:49+02:00January 14th, 2018|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Apocalyptic Fiction Book Reviews, Post-Apocalyptic Book Reviews|

Review: The Chief and His Marine by B.A. Sherman

★★★★

Few can understand the horrors of war if they have never put their lives on the line for their country, but the family members of soldiers have an intimate knowledge of that stress and pain. In The Chief and His Marine, author B.A. Sherman brings some of the challenges and tragedies of war into stark detail, shedding light on a subject that is pushed under the rug, or tacitly avoided, far too often.

This novel wastes no time in getting into the action, introducing readers to the titular Chief Platte character, who appears to still be reeling from […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2020-02-21T06:18:46+02:00January 10th, 2018|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews, Military Book Reviews|

Review: Soul Census by AJ Vega

★★★★ Soul Census by AJ Vega

Finding purpose after a life-changing event is something to which all readers can relate, and such is the fate of WWI veteran Willem Maddock, feeling the sense of despondency and alienation following the impossible tragedy of war. However, in Soul Census, written by AJ Vega, the story delves much deeper than a standard novel about post-war America. Instead, it penetrates the veil between mortality and spirituality, hinting at a form of existence that doesn’t end, but simply transcends.

Returning to find a cold world that doesn’t worship the right heroes, the tone is set for Maddock to be granted […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-01-22T15:17:08+02:00January 8th, 2018|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Science Fiction Book Reviews, Visionary Fiction Book Reviews|

Budland by Tom Kranz

While there is typically nothing funny about murder, author Tom Kranz manages to draw out more than a few smiles in his new novel Budland. The protagonist and a professional smart aleck, Bud Remmick, finds himself in jail after killing his intolerable boss, and he doesn’t seem to regret the choice in the least. The novel skips back and forth between life behind bars and the life Bud left behind, giving readers a better picture of why a seemingly smart and driven man would throw his freedom away for a single act of reckoning.

Bud is a fascinating character […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2018-12-07T10:12:54+02:00January 2nd, 2018|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: Serendipity by Thomas J. Thorson

The big picture that we’re taught in school is rarely the completely accurate picture, and curiosity can bring you down some fascinating and unforgettable rabbit holes. In Serendipity: Seemingly Random Events, Insignificant Decisions, and Accidental Discoveries that Altered History by Thomas J. Thorson, readers are welcomed into a long and disparate list of historical tales that exemplify the uncertainty of life, and the unbelievable ways that luck has influenced our common existence.

The book is a series of stories about well-known historical events and figures, but these are stories that few have ever heard before. Did you know that Handel, […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-12-22T03:32:20+02:00December 18th, 2017|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: History Book Reviews, Social Science Book Reviews|