The Diplomat and the Desperado Stories is branded by “PanOrpheus,” a pseudonym that makes sense because the author should not want to put his own name on this collection of episodes in the existence of the two titular characters, who exist in “Noirtown,” (a non-Earth-based realm that exists only in black-and-white) and who make sojourns … More The Diplomat and the Desperado Stories, by PanOrpheus

                Christian Romance Thriller is a genre very difficult to pull off well. My rating for this book (call it 3.5 stars, but 4 because amazon requires a whole number rating) is based entirely on the assumption that you (the potential reader) are specifically looking for a Christian faith-based inspirational story that will reinforce your … More No Regrets (Angel of Hope Book 1) by Vickie Fisher

Lethal Agent, a “Vince Flynn” novel by Kyle Mills Mitch Rapp saves the world.  It’s a familiar theme.  Vince Flynn died 16 years ago, but the publisher has continued to crank out Mitch Rapp stories written by Kyle Mills.  This installment is at times exciting and fun to read (or in my case listen to), … More New Mitch Rapp story, Lethal Agent, is pedantic, predictable, and yet . . . still fun.

Music boxes is a pre-teen adventure with a little horror. It is a fairy tale with a wicked witch, a magic amulet, and clear good and evil.  One should not spend too much time picking at the logical consistency of a fairy tale .  To a young reader, which is certainly the target audience, the … More Music Boxes, by Tonja Drecker

The End, by justine Avery, is a novella that starts out with great promise, but ultimately disappoints due to an ending that is muddled, confusing, and unintentionally (I think) ambiguous.  On the plus side, the novella starts out reading a bit like an episode of The Twilight Zone.  The story follows Trevor, a man described … More The End, By Justine Avery

            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