New Releases

SPR’s book reviews of new self-published books

Prosper by Lindsay Schuster

Prosper by Lindsay SchusterLindsay Schuster delivers a stirring coming-of-age novel with Prosper, the first in an ongoing series of standout YA writing.

Jenny, Stephanie, Amy and Kaila must navigate both the trials and trifles of high school, while also managing their own troubled lives, and more unexpected responsibilities than any 16-year-olds should bear. Highlighting the strength of sisterhood, overlapping emotional journeys and the critical importance of support systems in our lives, this is a novel not only about overcoming, but about becoming.

The variation in points of view provides a comprehensive perspective for readers, and intimate access to the experiences of each […]

2020-10-21T02:07:10+02:00October 21st, 2020|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |

Do You Believe in the Afterlife? by G D Harrison

Do You Believe in the Afterlife? by G D HarrisonAuthor G D Harrison plunges readers into the murky grey space between death, life, truth and lies in Do You Believe in the Afterlife? – a mind-bending, thought-provoking novel.

A dead man defies logic when some part of his Essence remains in his deceased body, so two determined doctors backtrack through his life, eager to find what makes him quite so special. With an eccentric sci-fi tone and the tension of a psychological thriller, readers follow Lester’s fate on his revelatory journey, one that raises more questions than it answers. This cerebral adventure is challenging, but rewarding, and is expertly […]

2020-10-16T03:45:08+02:00October 15th, 2020|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |

Rats in a Maze by Peter Bailey

Rats in a Maze by Peter Bailey

A NY detective falls from grace into the crosshairs of a deadly conspiracy in Rats in a Maze by Peter Bailey, a disturbing and timely thriller.

Ray Fisher is the grizzled detective at the center of this story, a man bearing the immense weight of his own sins and self-doubt, until he realizes that someone is playing a dangerous game – with his mind. After a slow-burning, mood-setting first half of this novel, the true darkness of the plot comes into focus, leading to a furious, action-fueled reckoning, along with some heavy commentary on American politics and power.

While the […]

2020-10-13T04:10:28+02:00October 13th, 2020|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |

Wardens by Jonathan Staten

Wardens by Jonathan Staten Fast-forward to the war-torn future of the solar system in Wardens by author Jonathan Staten. An unlikely hero is forced into the heart of a shadowy, interplanetary war, but also into the middle of his own mysterious family secrets. As he learns more about the Wardens – essentially sci-fi super-soldiers of the future – he becomes embroiled in the deadly deceptions and the savage conflicts that may have taken his father’s life.

This is a classic adventure Bildungsroman of training, failure, revelation, and meaningful battles against increasingly impossible odds, but there are also splashes of humor and connection, a strong […]

What’s That Coming Over the Hill by Raido Teagan

What's That Coming Over the Hill by Raido TeaganRaido Teagan unfurls a dark, emotionally raw story of personal struggle, brutal suffering, resilience, depression, unrequited love and mental collapse in What’s That Coming Over the Hill.

Part fictional memoir, part surreal nightmare, with perspective jumps and a flexible take on reality, this novel demands a strong heart from readers. Navigating the tortured recollections of the protagonist, from a childhood of isolation and abuse to the painful mysteries of sex and the opposite sex, and the uncontrollable urge for violence, this is a chilling tale of a young man on the brink. Revenge, savior complexes, twisted relationships, and self-deception […]

2020-09-29T07:41:49+02:00September 29th, 2020|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |

Stepping Out the Other Side by Peter Bell

Stepping Out the Other Side by Peter Bell

Part memoir, part self-help guide, and part philosophical treatise, Stepping Out the Other Side: Finding Purpose Through Adversity by Peter Bell is the engrossing story of the author’s journey through mental illness, which could have stalled or shattered his life, but instead drove him to new levels of purpose and fulfillment.

The journal style of writing at the start of the book is a visceral dive into the emotions and processes of mental illness and professional counseling, while the recovery and resurgence segments of the book are written in a more traditional narrative. The storytelling is unique in its raw, […]

Demons of Divine Wrath by Edward Izzi

Demons of Divine Wrath by Edward IzziEdward Izzi delivers a sharp, smart, and wickedly unpredictable novel in Demons of Divine Wrath, his latest literary shot across the Roman Catholic bow.

Mobsters with money on the mind and a pope who will stop at nothing to restore his reputation – and the coffers of the church – make this a globe-spanning thrill ride of violence and shadowy conspiracies. Add to that a dauntless, wise-cracking reporter, and a slick art dealer named Wolfgang with Nazi ties, and you have a complex tangle of money, power, history, and deception that will thrill loyal readers of a wide range […]

2020-09-28T08:04:44+02:00September 28th, 2020|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |

A Rose from the Executioner by Edward Izzi

A Rose from the Executioner by Edward Izzi

Vigilante serial killers, dark sacred secrets, and painfully true history collide in A Rose from the Executioner, the gritty new novel from author Edward Izzi. A devious idea to collect life insurance policies by killing off pedophile priests appears to become a horrific reality in Chicago, throwing a Catholic cop onto a tangled trail of mobsters, monsignors, and rose-signed murder scenes.

Despite being a work of fiction, the story is laid on a very real foundation, which ups the narrative stakes from the very beginning. Interspersing the detective’s first-person investigation with expositional chapters and victim/criminal backstories results in a […]

2020-09-28T07:49:42+02:00September 27th, 2020|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |
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