Editorial Reviews

A grim look into the tangled fates of decent men gone wrong, Bad Cop by Peter Sarda is the dark but gripping second installment of the Hamburg Noir series. When a hungry underworld rises up to claim the scattered pieces of a heroin empire, bloody chaos and desperate violence are inevitable, but two veteran detectives at the crosshairs are up to the task, cleverly digging into the dirt of hired hitmen, crooked allies, and a laundry list of ulterior motives. With two classic noir protagonists, sharp dialogue, and a sinister edge of vigilante justice on the gritty streets of Hamburg, […]

A page-turner ultimately about second chances, 5th and Vanguard by Lee Adams is an engrossing thriller written in classic noir style. It’s 1999 and writer Julie Page is a recovering addict hoping to retrieve her artistic muse when she finds herself a chance witness to a crime in front of Bob’s Liquor Palace at the corner of 5th and Vanguard. Supremely well-written with characters, exposition, and dialogue authentic to the genre and an earlier era, this tight, compelling novel is somewhat weakened by occasional grammatical errors, but these issues will be easily overlooked by fans of dark, gritty, fast-paced crime […]

A wildly original start to a sci-fi series, Unanimity by Alexandra Almeida is a full-on plunge into a virtual future, where the battle lines between fragile gods and tech titans have been violently drawn. A surreal story of creative evolution and the timeless struggle against fate, this intricately woven tale is intoxicatingly original, teasing the edges of reality and fiction. With a subtle storytelling style that is both immersive and patiently coy, Almeida has crafted an ambitious existential treat for fans of near-future sci-fi.

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Whimsical and endearing, Tony Philips’ The Pig Who Loved Gluffles: And One More Story illuminates the essential lesson of how one’s actions can influence the rest of the world. When a pig discovers the last crazed gluffle in the forest, he’s faced with a moral dilemma: eat the gluffle, or save it, allowing more to grow for everyone’s further enjoyment. Philips’ rhyme scheme is impressive, creating a poetic narrative that’s fun to follow, and his illustrations are colorful and engaging, though the characters don’t always feel integrated with the background. Overall, The Pig Who Loved Gluffles tells a cheerful but […]

Amusing and lighthearted with brightly expressive illustrations, Harley Griffon’s Beard is a delightful book for children about one little dog’s mischief, written by Nana Piercy and illustrated by M. Daamoouche. When Harley’s owner tries to clean her beard one day, the dog runs out the door and gets into an even bigger mess, meeting creepy crawly denizens of her neighborhood along the way. Inspired by Piercy’s own dog, Harley’s travels are evermore charming, as they feel more like a real-life adventure. Though there are some complex words for young children, the spirited rhymes and illustrations tell such an engaging story […]

Martin Patin’s charming novel, Roebell Sandwich, follows the ups and downs of a 12-year-old boy’s life in Queens, N.Y. during the 70s and his pursuit of fame. When Paul Roebell achieves his dream of being on TV, his success is countered by failures he must learn to accept. Though the story lacks a distinct climax, this supports the feeling of Roebell’s monotonous daily life, and Patin’s themes of masculinity and identity keep the story alive. Both lighthearted and realistic, Patin provides readers with an entertaining dive into 70s nostalgia that also makes a comment on contemporary issues.

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In a memoir full of charm and grit, Pieman: The Papa D Story, June V. Bourgo and Dennis Bourgo relay their story of how Dennis – aka Papa D – built his meat pie business at the end of a dirt road, with June’s love and support. On the coast of British Columbia, the Bourgos found a rural piece of land and undertook the painstaking process of creating the wildly successful Papa D’s Comfort Foods, featuring his Nana’s recipe. Although the book’s focus is often disrupted by free association and digressions, readers will be drawn in by the authors’ easy, […]

An action-packed fling into a brilliant new sci-fi realm, Fable’s End: A Shentonia Story is a multilayered fantasy thriller that hits close to our ideologically divided home. A legacy of conflict and cosmic oppression is finally coming to an end in Shentonia, leaving a chaotic landscape of violent warlords, deadly feuds, and vast political divides. Despite the deeply detailed world, language, history, and cultures, the battle for the soul of this fictional alien world might feel familiar to readers. A richly crafted novel blurring the lines of multiple genres, this allegorical plunge into socioeconomic, political, and existential conflict makes for […]