John Staughton, Senior Reviewer

About John Staughton, Senior Reviewer

Providing exceptional writing, editing and publishing services to hundreds of international clients, ranging from nutritional copywriting and long-form ghostwriting to substantive editing, assessment/analysis of academic texts and structural/content editing for bestselling novels.

Circle of Nine: Mercy in the Mist by Valerie Biel

Circle of Nine: Mercy in the Mist by Valerie Biel

A rapturous, mystical dive into a clan of sacred protectors of an Irish legacy, Circle of Nine: Mercy in the Mist by Valerie Biel expands the sprawling lore of the Tuatha de Danann. Across the Emerald Isle, a disturbing pattern of disappearances around Mabon – the autumnal equinox – becomes a critical clue in the latest supernatural threat to the Quinn family and its magical mothers. The sinister echo of Brigit’s grandfather, Malachi, continues to haunt them, forcing them to seek out the fickle and dangerous deities in the Otherworld, which could be their salvation or cement their ultimate doom. […]

2025-12-16T14:56:56+02:00December 16th, 2025|Categories: Editorial Reviews|

The Fool by Laura J. Fitzwilson

The Fool by Laura J. Fitzwilson

A hilarious, incisive, and socially critical work of speculative fantasy, The Fool (The Austellus Saga Book 1) by Laura J. Fitzwilson is a masterwork of allegorical wit and whimsy. Begrudgingly taking the throne of a fictional kingdom that mirrors Australia in both demographics and oppressive history, Leo is ill-prepared for the burden of leadership, especially since his enemies are multiplying, his family members are dwindling, and the court jester is driving him crazy. Combining elements of fantasy, romance, satire, and LGBT fiction, this is a spectacularly sarcastic adventure from an irrefutably savage writer. Magical hierarchy, double-edged riddles, and royal machinations […]

2025-12-15T17:38:01+02:00December 15th, 2025|Categories: Editorial Reviews|

A Girl Like You by John T. Lucas

A Girl Like You by John T. LucasA dramatic work of contemporary fiction set against the seductive and sinister streets of Las Vegas, A Girl Like You by John T. Lucas follows two old friends, James and Erik, as they attempt to escape for a weekend, but instead find themselves adrift in a sea of dangerous decisions.

Erik’s marriage is falling apart in real time when a damsel in distress saunters across his path – Gracie is desperate to escape the sex trade and the cruel pimp that runs her life, and Erik might just be the noble knight she needs to get free. James, in contrast, […]

2025-12-12T16:59:13+02:00December 12th, 2025|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |

Lords of Sixty-Third Street by Edward Izzi

Lords of Sixty-Third Street by Edward IzziAn urban crime thriller that pulls back the curtain on a perennial battlefield in Chicago, Lords of Sixty-Third Street by Edward Izzi is a riveting hunt for justice in a city where organized crime reaches every level of power.

Veteran reporter Larry McKay is ready for retirement, but the murder of his long-time friend and colleague at the Tribune drags him into a grisly world of the mob and blatant political corruption. As his investigation descends into the dark heart of the Windy City, he finds himself caught between the titular mobsters of the Chicago Outfit and a merciless street […]

2025-12-12T11:06:36+02:00December 12th, 2025|Categories: New Releases|Tags: |

Swanblade: Year Zero by D.K. Kristof

Swanblade: Year Zero by D.K. Kristof

A supercharged origin story for an innovative new hero, Swanblade: Year Zero by D.K. Kristof is a dark but brilliant addition to the pantheon of superhero graphic novels. Following a merciless attack in the wake of a villainous prison break, Kayla McAllister steps out from the shadow of her legendary father, reborn and re-armed as a living weapon. As supervillains and mobsters wreak havoc across New Radion Bay, the city’s latest protector overcomes her grief to unleash a brutal brand of justice and honor her family legacy. Written in long-form prose, rather than short bursts of dialogue, the story is […]

2025-12-10T14:01:40+02:00December 10th, 2025|Categories: Editorial Reviews|

Exile of the Heart by Rasheed Abou-Elsamh

Exile of the Heart by Rasheed Abou-ElsamhA raw account of the author’s long journey to find a place to truly be himself, Exile of the Heart: A Memoir Across Three Continents by Rasheed Abou-Elsamh is a vulnerably written and engrossing memoir.

Born to a Saudi father and an American mother, the battle between conflicting values and ideas was an unavoidable part of his identity, but one that he channeled into a free-ranging interest in the wider world. As Rasheed comes to embrace his homosexuality and recognizes the danger of that identity in Jeddah, he dreams of another life, somewhere his desires aren’t considered a crime. Moving […]

2025-12-09T16:40:42+02:00December 9th, 2025|Categories: New Releases|Tags: , |

Review: Where’s Jackson Pollock? by Jim Davidson

Where's Jackson Pollock? by Jim Davidson

A casually hilarious caper through the dirty end of the art world, Where’s Jackson Pollock? by Jim Davidson delivers a twisted plot and a swirling cast of cutthroat characters.

Russell Henderson is a charming white-collar criminal in dire straits, and with his offshore accounts drying up, he decides to liquidate two of his unexpected assets – a Mark Rothko and a Jackson Pollock that have been hanging in his bedroom for years. Despite their decidedly sketchy origins, his ex-art dealer girlfriend, Victoria Scarsfield, offers to help him move the high-end art through her old stomping grounds of Richmond, Virginia, without […]

2025-12-09T16:08:39+02:00December 9th, 2025|Categories: Book Reviews, Latest Book Reviews|Tags: |

Review: MIJO: We Bend, Not Break by Francisco Castillo

MIJO: We Bend, Not Break by Francisco Castillo

A stirring portrait of the immigrant tradition in America and the burdens of memory that can bury us, MIJO: We Bend, Not Break by Francisco Castillo is an absorbing tale of resilience and reinvention.

Capturing the intergenerational trauma and trajectories of one fearless Mexican-American family, the story depicts the diverse journeys of Joaquín, his son Alejandro, and grandson Gabriel. From the violent dead ends of rural Mexico and back-breaking work in the tomato fields of southern California to struggling up the white collar tower and assimilating into contemporary US culture, this sprawling narrative runs the gamut of the immigrant experience […]

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