Madeleine Holly-Rosing’s deep dive into a steam-punk world is a remarkably well-written and well-edited novel that captures your imagination and draws you in.  The rich imagery and detailed descriptions help create a well-organized universe where Boston is part of the Great States of America and the “Great Houses” of the American aristocracy run business … More The Boston Metaphysical Society (A Storm of Secrets), by Madeleine Holly-Rosing

The Deranged is Kate Myers’ first novel and it suffers from typical first-novel maladies.  The story is an unremarkable zombie apocalypse tale that follows the four major characters as they flee from the “deranged” humans who charge at any normal person and try to beat them to death. The zombies don’t eat flesh, and can … More The Deranged, by Kate Myers

The Woman Behind Her, by Anna Willett, is a haunting story of guilt, resolve, and facing one’s fears. I was reminded of Edgar Allan Poe’s classic The Tell-tale Heart.  Jackie, a mousey, timid school teacher, faces the building terror of being investigated by the police after an abusive parent is found dead.  Jackie is the … More The Woman Behind Her, by Anna Willett

Expansive Conspiracy Thriller is a long ride Polar Bear Dawn is an action thriller that includes murders committed to advance an elaborate plot to enrich Wall Street investors.  There are other murders and deaths and many complex plots and counter-plots, and a large cast of characters that are woven together over a long and winding … More Polar Bear dawn, by Lyle Nicholson

            The Gates of Golorath is the first part of an epic fantasy adventure.  Author R.M. Garino has created a complex world that exists somewhere between the realm of humans and the realms of heaven and hell.  Here, the Elc’atar warriors, guardians of the Gate, are charged with keeping the hoards of monsters from the … More The Gates of Golorath (Chaos of Souls #1), by R.M. Garino

                Sons and Brothers (Legends of the Family Dyer), by David W. Thompson is a compelling horror tale that is well-written, but may be hard to fully follow if you have not read the earlier installments of the trilogy.  Although I have some personal issues and quibbles, if you can buy into the premises and … More Sons and Brothers (Legends of the Family Dyer), by David W. Thompson

I listened to the audio book of “Below the Belt,” borrowed from my father-in-law.  The audio book is narrated by Tony Roberts, who is a superb actor and a great reader, who voiced the multiple characters flawlessly and made the listen enjoyable despite the very, very slow pace of this book, especially at the start.  … More Below the Belt, by Stuart Woods

Personal Justice is book 5 in the “Justice” series of legal mysteries starring hero lawyer Marc Kadella.  If you enjoyed the earlier books in this series, you’ll probably enjoy this one.  Dennis Carstens is an excellent storyteller.  His books include some complex plots and many interesting characters.  Any one of them is a good, entertaining … More Personal Justice (A Marc Kadella Legal Mystery Book 5), by Dennis Carstens

This is a fun little romance/adventure, starting Jewel, a 21-year-old vixen and her hot BFF, Clarise, who get swept up into an unlikely wild west style romp after she inherits the old house and land in West Texas owned by her now-dead grandfather.  It turns out that there is a band of Native Americans living … More Texas Jewel (Broken Jewel Book 1), by Melissa Alexia

Wouldn’t it be nice if you could go back in time to all the key moments of your youth and correct the errors you made that sent your life and the lives of your friends and family onto a dark path?  it would be nice, and in this story Julie (Jules) does just that.  When … More Wide Awake Asleep: Time Travel Romance, by Louise Wise