John Staughton, Senior Reviewer

A transatlantic drama of mafia ties, Vegas dreams, Nazi gold, and one family’s struggle for legitimacy, The Picture Box by Carlo Armenise is a fast-paced thrill of a novel. Complex character revelations and a straightforward storytelling style make this a culturally immersive read that is easy to devour. The blending of long-buried secrets with new and visceral mysteries, jewelry thefts, and inexplicable tragedies keep the story spiraling in unexpected directions, often pushing forward at a manic pace. The prose is sometimes abrupt, and the dialogue can feel heavily explicit or unnatural, but the relentless pace of this shadowy tale is […]

An emotional tapestry of a novel, Under the Weeping Willow by Jenny Knipfer, Book Two in the Sheltering Trees series, is a tender exploration of loss and forgiveness, and how those powerful concepts evolve over the course of a life. Robin and Enid are a mother and daughter whose stories are separated by nearly seven decades, and divided by a deep wound that has never healed, but the discovery of her mother’s journals leads to secrets and revelations Enid never could have expected. A sensitive and well-crafted drama unpacking issues of mental health, layers of grief, societal expectations, and the […]

A stunning and tightly told work of historical fiction, The Coward of Grimsby by Eric Ryan is a swashbuckling, time-jumping story that you won’t want to put down til it’s over. From sunken Spanish warships and brutal mutinies to tragedies of the soul and the undeniable charm of a bygone era, this novelette twists readers’ expectations through a cleverly deconstructed plot that achieves a delightful level of suspense. Tied together with subtle themes and edited to near perfection, this satisfying read may require some suspension of disbelief, but it is a pleasure to get lost in Ryan’s original tale.[…]

Set in a horrific dystopia where mutant scum with telepathic weapons manipulate those few unlucky survivors of the Extinction, Seven Players by Adam Wodyk is a head-spinning dive into humanity’s dark future. Shifting traditional perspectives and twisting narrative rules, the book plunges readers into a wholly inventive, but daunting world – the “acting dreams” of the main character, Max, who is little more than a psychological puppet for the entertainment of the Emperial masses. While the exposition is occasionally clumsy, and some narration is overly explicit, this cerebral slice of dystopian fiction is boundlessly creative and entirely unique, which more […]

A charming tale about patience, self-control, and motherly love, Birthday? Birthday!! Birthday!!! Impatient Patience’s Special Day by Michael A. Brown is a relatable and delightful new read for children. Brought to life with exceptional illustrations by Lovyaa Garg, this story is packed with subtle lessons, particularly about the importance of family, slowing down to appreciate the world, and how love can thrive over long distances. Some of the prose could be improved, including unnatural word order and awkward meter in certain sections; adding an extra preposition or conjunction could help some lines flow more smoothly within the sing-song rhythm. However, […]

A string of grisly killings disrupts the quiet life of a small town in Once Upon a Murderous Delusion by A.G. Russo, a probing look into the murky depths of mental health, trauma, and the unexpected origins of evil. Capturing the shock and sinister suspicion that can arise in a terrifying moment of crisis, the rich cast of investigators, nurses, patients, and suspects make this novel hard to put down, and even harder to unravel the gruesome mystery. Boasting visceral language that occasionally turns the stomach, and a suspenseful style of patient storytelling, this macabre slice of pulp fiction delivers […]

Delving into the delicate nuances of language, connection, belonging, and loss, My English Teacher and I by Mikhael Aroni is a passionate exploration of love and the complicated layers of power that inevitably exist within every person. Boasting vivid, three-dimensional characters from across the world – expats, teachers, travelers, and students – this novel offers a vulnerable peek inside the transient and challenging world of living somewhere you can’t quite call home. The cover doesn’t quite reflect the care and artistry inside, but the prose makes up for this, as the rich language of this novel is effortless, erudite, and […]