New Releases

SPR’s book reviews of new self-published books

The Haunted Streets (The Vacant Exordium Book 1) by Wyatt Hamby

The Haunted Streets (The Vacant Exordium Book 1) Hard times and dark days set a grim tone for Wyatt Hamby’s hardboiled crime tale, The Haunted Streets, Book 1 in The Vacant Exordium series.

The year is 1937. Seasoned Detective Frank Palmer and his young partner, Charlie Callaghan, are called to the home of prominent radio host, Morgan Maxwell, who’s been murdered. There are no bullet casings or murder weapon – only a .38 slug and two leather-bound ledgers with cryptic entries. Maxwell’s death has also coincided with the passing of seventy-two-year-old Salvadore Barone, head of the Barone crime family. As Palmer digs deeper into the murder investigation, […]

2017-12-14T09:49:03+02:00December 14th, 2017|Categories: New Releases|Tags: , |

The Stiletto Woman: Reigniting Personal Empowerment by Marisa Ferraro

The Stiletto Woman: Reigniting Personal EmpowermentLife and dating can be challenging at the best of times but writer and blogger Marisa Ferraro outlines the right approach to both in The Stiletto Woman: Reigniting Personal Empowerment.

Ferraro takes a common sense approach to dating by urging women to find empowerment from a bad relationship. She candidly discusses dating dynamics while bemoaning the overuse of digital communication that hinders the intimate connection that’s vital to every relationship.

This useful dating manual offers a relatively simple equation for empowerment: “inner core values + worth = empowerment,” which gives the book a tone of seriousness – and effectiveness […]

2019-01-22T06:05:04+02:00December 10th, 2017|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |

What’s a Monster? (Tales from Dulaney Street Book 1) by Maurice Trent, Illustrated by Arisbeth Cruz

What's a Monster? (Tales from Dulaney Street Book 1)What’s a Monster? written by Maurice Trent, with illustrations by Arisbeth Cruz, is a wonderful storybook with a great little twist that goes beyond your typical children’s monster-story fare.

Oliver is scared of the house at night. During an argument over the family bathroom, Oliver’s older brother Ty tells him to keep his voice down otherwise it will attract the resident kid-eating monster, which Oliver tries to ignore. It is only when Oliver receives a playhouse as a gift for his fifth birthday that the forgotten threat of monsters suddenly becomes all too real for Oliver, and it’s cleverly revealed […]

2017-12-08T11:02:52+02:00December 8th, 2017|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |

The Piketty Problem by Garth Hallberg

The Piketty Problem: or The Robots Are Coming, The Robots Are Coming by Garth Hallberg

The Piketty Problem by Garth Hallberg is an engaging novel of social protest, which acts as both a warning and call to action about the state of the economy and mechanization. Suzanne Dealy is at odds with her husband, who aims to mechanize chains of McDonald’s with “McRobots.” She meets kindred spirit Steve Harris, who’s an equal devotee of the economist Thomas Piketty. Together they join together to thwart her husband’s misguided plans and put an end to income inequality.

The Piketty Problem (subtitle The Robots Are Coming, The Robots Are Coming) is an astute and well-written exploration of […]

2017-12-08T09:48:25+02:00December 8th, 2017|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |

Terror by Eamonn Hickson

Terror by Eamonn HicksonAuthor Eamonn Hickson brings the fascinating, dingy, and complex streets of Boston alive in his new novel Terror, a probing novel of survival in the modern world.

In the uncertainty of a post-9/11 America, issues of patriotism and racism mesh every day with issues of unemployment, poverty, and rising crime rates. In the harsh streets of Boston, the eternal struggle between money, power, and influence are displayed in a microcosmic story that is beautifully told. Seemingly disparate characters come together and begin to overlap – from would-be bank robbers to dishonored heroes – which packs this urban tale with intention […]

Daffodil Hill and the Purpose of the Lavender Fields by Danette Key

Daffodil Hill and the Purpose of the Lavender Fields Quaint, small-town charm belies an inexplicable presence in Daffodil Hill and the Purpose of the Lavender Fields, a highly imaginative novel by Danette Key.

Daffodil Hill is a pleasant, laid-back little village in upstate New York with a population of just a thousand citizens. Not much happens in this sleepy little village so when sacred gardens become vandalized and strange footprints are found in the forest, cries of disbelief soon turn to demands for justice. Little do Daffodil Hill’s citizens know but their small village is under siege by a perpetrator the likes of which no one has ever […]

2017-12-05T09:33:23+02:00December 5th, 2017|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |

I Am Not Nothin’: The Serpent Handler’s Daughter by Tommy G. Robertson

I Am Not Nothin': The Serpent Handler's DaughterI Am Not Nothin’: The Serpent Handler’s Daughter by Tommy G. Robertson takes readers back to a time and place where things might seem simpler on the surface, but in reality they are not. Centered in a coal mining “company” town, the cast of characters are dealing with a type of indentured servitude to the owner of the coal and coke company while they are just trying to get by in life.

The novel follows Dorie, Eli, Bud Maynes, Josiah Johnson, and their family, friends, and co-workers through their mundane, yet complicated lives and gives the reader a look into […]

B.A.L.D.: Lillie’s First Day of School by Tijuana Collier & Khaila Ramey-Collier, Illustrated by Vanessa Alexandre

B.A.L.D.: Lillie’s First Day of SchoolB.A.L.D.: Lillie’s First Day of School by Tijuana Collier and Khaila Ramey-Collier, is a charming storybook with an all-important message about confidence and individuality.

Lillie is very excited about the most important day of her life – her first day of school. She can count to twenty-two, write and draw inside the lines, and can even tie her shoes on her own, making her more than ready for school. However, Lillie’s a little different from other young girls in that she’s bald. No worries, though. In Lillie’s world, being B.A.L.D. simply means that Beauty Always Looks Different…

Influenced by personal […]

2017-11-21T07:36:50+02:00November 20th, 2017|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |
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