John Staughton, Senior Reviewer

Dropping readers into the first-person perspective of Pastor Stephen Grant, Christmas Bells at St. Mary’s by Ray Keating is an intimate twist on this ever-growing series. Told through Grant’s journal entries about his pastor friends and one particularly eventful Advent, this epistolary novel pulls back the personal curtain on this series’ spiritual spymaster even further. Whether he is helping a young priest navigate a crisis of faith, exploring the cinematic nuance behind his favorite festive films, or investigating the mysterious resentment of a troubled young man, Stephen Grant continues to be an original and unexpectedly heroic protagonist. Cleanly edited, fast-moving, […]

Examining the nebulous nature of forgetfulness, Memory Neural or Not Neural by Annie De Muynck is a probing essay about Freud’s dynamic theories of anticipatory ideas, transference, and the emotional susceptibility of memory. Using Freud’s own experiences during a seminal journey to illustrate the malleable nature of memory, the author masterfully links different aspects of psychoanalysis to linguistic theory and the philosophical rhetoric of Lacan. Intended for a deeper dive into familiar realms of analytic thought, this brief yet comprehensive read is an illuminating thesis on one of Freud’s many paradoxical revelations.

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Years after a covert mission turns sideways and deadly, revenge comes calling for one warrior’s family in Turning Pro by M.J.S. House, a compelling thriller with an original premise. Basketball is life for Jake Delaney, a star college player with the NBA calling, but aside from navigating March Madness and collegiate crushes, he also has a bloodthirsty arms dealer looking to end his nascent career – and his life. The question is, will Jake’s super-spy father and a team of Navy SEALs be able to stop the assassins with the NCAA tournament also at stake? Aside from some necessary suspension […]

A magical flurry of mana, monsters, and epic attitude, Heroes of a Warless World by Darren L. Holloway tells the wild tale of Aria and her soul-linked protector, Rory, as they try to unlock the secret of their shared destiny. Creatively crafted and engagingly written, this action-packed read is something like a video game transposed into a novella, and while there are some technical stumbles, the spirited first-person narration, illustrations, and character interplay drive the story forward, with the dialogue feeling cinematic. Dodging otherworldly assassins and hilariously navigating their sometimes contentious relationship, Aria and Rory make for an entertaining pair […]