Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

Review: Waxing Pathetic by M. B. Clark

Waxing Pathetic by M.B. Clark

M. B. Clark plumbs the depths of her own life with dark humor in Waxing Pathetic: My Two Cents, For What They’re Worth. Detailing long-simmering stories from different seminal points in her life, as well as her contemporary thoughts on glass ceilings, self-erected brick walls, technology, and the elusive vapors of youth, this is far from your average memoir.

As the author humorously states in her introduction, this book attempts to “capture more precisely the actual conundrum of the inner workings of my so-called brain,” which is precisely what it proceeds to do. From the dissection of embarrassing childhood […]

Review: When A Rook Takes The Queen by Edward Izzi

When A Rook Takes The Queen by Edward Izzi is an intense urban thriller, taking its name from the Chicago Gambit, an opening used in chess that is widely thought of as a daring way to open the board for the game. The seamy streets of Chicago are the setting here, and the author weaves a set of similar moves into the story with his characters, creating an intriguing assassination puzzle for the reader to unravel.

When a Chicago Tribune reporter, the stubborn Larry McKay, investigates the murder of the city’s mayor, an African-America woman who had been seeking a […]

SPR2021-03-12T06:05:36+02:00February 1st, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Crime Fiction Book Reviews, Thriller Book Reviews|

Review: Falling by Marc Burgio

Falling by Marc Burgio

Author Marc Burgio weaves a tangled tale of desperation, murder, mercy and morality in his debut novel, Falling. A lifetime of missing memories, the sudden return of a long-lost cousin, and a stark confession of murder are the starting points for this wild revelation of a novel.

Multiple plot lines, timelines, and international adventures pepper this unpredictable story – the memoir of Julia, and the nearly unbelievable story that led back to her cousin’s door. Initially, we watch young Julia slog her way through California corner store jobs and retail prisons, wondering when the world will grant her a […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-03-09T05:11:01+02:00January 28th, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Contemporary Fiction Book Reviews, Thriller Book Reviews|

Review: Who’s There? by Dimas Rio

Who's There? by Dimas Rio

Author Dimas Rio delivers a gut-twisting gathering of slow-burning horror in a new collection Who’s There? Taking readers into the traditions and mindset of Indonesia, these stories vary widely in their subject matter and characters, but they’re bound together through terror, skillful narration, and the collective fear of the unexplained.

Authors with a firm grasp on horror know how to imbue every page with creeping dread, coupled with the delicious instability of an untrustworthy narrator and the promise of a grim demise. The titular story is perhaps the strongest in the collection, but the others are also striking in their […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-02-26T11:27:51+02:00January 26th, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Horror Book Reviews, Short Stories Book Reviews|

Review: Swarm (Voidstalker Book 4) by John Graham

Swarm (Voidstalker Book 4) by John Graham

John Graham spirals deeper into the realms of high sci-fi with Swarm, the fourth thrilling installment of the Voidstalker series.

Gabriel Thorn’s daring and unauthorized behavior from previous books has put him in hot water with Red-Eye, the cold and calculating Director General of the DNI. Despite being manipulated and punished at seemingly every turn, even when his breaches of conduct serve the greater good, he remains a loyal voidstalker. He may be on administrative leave, but when an ancient evil is stirred up during a routine geological survey on a barren planet, threatening the DNI’s future, Thorn is […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-02-26T11:24:04+02:00January 24th, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Science Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: 1871: Rivers on Fire by Paul Buchheit

1871: Rivers on Fire by Paul Buchheit

Danger, adventure, romance, and sweeping social commentary are all part of the dramatic meld in the novel 1871: Rivers on Fire by progressive author and thinker Paul Buchheit.

Liz and Robert meet in London where both will study neurobiology, overseen by Dr. Alexander Bain, a pioneer in the exploration of thought patterns. Liz is American, drawn to education overseas because of better prospects for females in academia. Robert is involved in the science of conservation, especially forest depletion.

They soon find common ground in intellectual pursuits, especially the realm of word cognition. They also hold similar views regarding social justice, […]

SPR2021-02-24T08:35:56+02:00January 24th, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Historical Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: 36 Moons by Chris Guest

36 Moons by Chris Guest

The magic of young love can have deadly consequences in 36 Moons, a new work of historical fiction by Chris Guest. Set near the turn of the 17^th century in the countryside of Salem, Massachusetts, this tangled tale of love, innocence, and puritanical suspicion is a shadowy escape.

Fabian is just coming into manhood, and while his family has certain expectations for his romantic future, fate has other plans for the handsome farm boy. When a beautiful young stranger named Emma Radcliffe appears on his land, he is captivated in an instant, sending Fabian down an eye-opening, life-changing, […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2021-02-23T09:31:43+02:00January 19th, 2021|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Historical Fiction Book Reviews|

Review: This Was Always About Basketball by Craig Leener

This Was Always About Basketball by Craig Leener

Author Craig Leener hits nothing but net in the third and final installment of his Zeke Archer Trilogy with This Was Always About Basketball. Perfectly balancing young adult drama with time-traveling fantasy, this novel is a thrilling, heartwrenching, and mind-bending read.

Diving back into the strange science of the 7th Dimension, and with help from his unusual and darkly humorous sidekick Lawrence, Zeke Archer once again finds himself facing impossible odds. After his archenemy Brock Decker finds a way to travel back in time and change the history of basketball, Zeke must tap into sacred geometry and the secrets […]