Editorial Reviews

Adrian Green, an American software engineer, plans to “free himself from the endless noise of the States,” in Michael R. French’s eclectic and engaging Ghost with Two Hearts. Having relocated to Japan, Adrian indulges in a tantalizing romance with a resident ghost, and attempts to reconcile past wrongs by returning the Samurai sword his grandfather stole from a Japanese officer during WW2. Throughout the story, French seamlessly weaves fascinating facts about Japanese culture and Shintoism into his insightful and original narrative. A novel that is both character-rich and page-turning, this story will have readers yearning to explore and discover […]

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 […]

Written clearly and empathetically, Healing Cancer: The Complete Way by Lawrence Doochin is a guide to healing from cancer and other major health threats, but also an invitation for everyone to reconsider their habits of body and mind. What does it mean to be sick or to be healthy? What does it mean to be happy, and how can that impact our bodies? These and other questions are treated by the author with exquisite care and a vast realm of references, from philosophy to quantum physics, which are both comforting and informative. Told through the authoritative lens of the author’s […]

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 […]

A recently jilted designer wakes up confused and covered in her best friend’s blood in Reasonable by K.T. Carlisle, a dark and dramatic first installment of the What Happened to Mia Davis? series. The lives of four friends who were rocked by collegiate tragedy and then bound by a joint business make for an interesting emotional foundation, and their explosive dynamics are the driving force of the plot, which moves forward at a quick pace. Leaping forward and back in time, this character- and dialogue-driven drama will keep readers guessing as the full sinister scope is revealed. Unreliable narrators, spectral […]

Part social commentary and part motivational manifesto, Cloak of the Living Dead by Ernest Johnson demands the reader to look at the world and decide if they are simply going through the motions of existence or actually living their lives to their fullest potential. By discussing his own life’s tribulations and experiences, Johnson aims to show the reader how to be “alive” and aware rather than “dead” and oblivious to the world around us, pointing out the many deadening aspects of life that keep us down – bad relationships, pointless jobs, unhealthy diets, and more. At times difficult to follow […]