Editorial Reviews

Dreaming Under an Electric Moon by Kris Powers is an imaginative and ingenious piece of science fiction that merges future technology with the pulsing energy of a mystery. Rose is a mind hacker who is a prisoner in the Southern States of America, accused of having murdered a child by pushing him off a balcony. Two FBI agents sent by the Western States of America sense that something is amiss with this story, and maybe her mind really has been hacked to do someone else’s bidding. Both adventurous and reflective, with an innovative take on the future that feels strangely […]

Making a strong argument for the sustainability of bitcoin and doling out critical advice on this revolutionary currency, Bitcoin Secrets: 8 Critical Trends That Are Redefining the World by Dirk Dogood is an invaluable primer for curious minds and a guidebook for savvy investors. From a basic introduction to bitcoin’s fundamentals to its function as an asset protector and deep dives into its geopolitical and strategic impacts, this book is a broad and comprehensive examination of this contemporary phenomenon. Balancing an accessibly conversational tone with his authority as a financial professional and wealth manager, Dogood delivers a compelling thesis on […]

The first homicide case for a brand-new detective hits tragically close to home in When Things Fall Apart by Alan Brenham, an electric first installment of the Kit Hanover series. Despite being pulled off the investigation, Kit Hanover of the Comanche Nation isn’t going to leave the hunt for justice in the hands of her bigoted ex-partner, which launches her into a vigilante search for the unhinged killer. Juggling the weight of maternal grief, survivor’s guilt, and the frustrating ineptitude of her own colleagues, Kit is willing to risk her career – and even her life – to uncover the […]

A mysterious murder in the Louvre pulls young Claire Deveraux into a dangerous web of criminal intrigue in Every Silent Thing by Alan Brenham. Claire was the only one to witness the cryptic last words of the victim, who also secretly slipped a treasure in her pocket worth millions. Navigating the challenges of being a deaf American abroad is hard enough without a killer hunting you down, but when Claire’s twin sister suddenly arrives in Paris, their tangle of lives and lies becomes even more deadly. The story’s breathless pace keeps the pages turning, though the narrative does cut convenient […]

A viciously bullied teen, Mia Chandler, gains a mysterious and lethally effective guardian in The Wood Sprite by James Dobie, a chilling second installment of his Wallowa Lake series. Despite her protector’s initial promise to help, Mia soon learns that blood demands sacrifice, and that her mysterious new friend did not come into her life by accident. As the foundations of Mia’s family begin to fall apart, she and a devoted local detective team up to unravel the bizarre curse, and put the pieces of a broken life back into place. Haunting and enthralling, this fast-paced supernatural thriller could use […]

Pulling back the curtain on the profession of death investigation, Mary Jumbelic, M.D. has crafted a gripping and original memoir in Here, Where Death Delights. Reflecting on the unexpected tragedy that defined her young life, and expounding on her consequent decades of work as a medical examiner, this memoir is an intimate exploration of mortality and the lifelong task of processing grief. Open and honest discussions about death are often avoided or seen as taboo, which makes Jumbelic’s journey through morgues, crime scenes, and the maze of human emotions such a revelation, written with a deep sense of sensitivity […]

Intriguingly wise and emotionally nuanced, Unbearable by Amy Winfield is the surreal story of a lost young camper befriending a curmudgeonly bear – one who can somehow talk, drive, cook, and even debate semantics. Whether the bear is educating Brandon about the danger of stereotypes, saving his life with plant medicine, or begrudgingly becoming his loyal companion, Smokey retains a clever sass that is both sarcastic and smart. Underlaid with lessons about personal responsibility, unfair prejudices, anger issues, self-reliance, bullying, and compassion, this witty and well-conceived short novel is heartfelt, original, and wholly entertaining.

 […]

After a young woman’s brutal murder in the English countryside, the hunt for her killer quickly spirals out of control in The Pike, a gripping UK thriller by J.J. Richards, and the second in his DCI Walker Crime Thrillers series. As potential suspects begin desperately trying to skip town and jumping in front of trains, the heinous killings don’t stop, hinting at a far more sinister explanation than teenage hedonism gone horribly wrong. The repartee of the investigators, particularly between Briggs and DCI Walker, keep the procedural elements of the plot informative and well-paced, without giving away the whodunit, […]