John Staughton, Senior Reviewer

A gritty but tongue-in-cheek satire of hard-boiled gumshoe fiction, Sham Shamus by Charlotte Stuart is a creative twist on the private eye genre, where the lines between hunter and hunted disappear entirely. When P.I. Eric Henderson is hired to find a ruthless political climber and informant who’s wanted by the mob, the case hits shockingly close to his dangerous double life. Cleverly laced with witty dialogue, a razor-sharp protagonist, and slick but believable supporting characters, this multilayered work of detective fiction manages to be both amusing and suspenseful, expertly pillorying old-school detective novels while also showing abundant reverence for the […]

A stunning read that swelters with tension and sultry grit, The Devil Take the Blues by Ariel Slick is a macabre masterpiece of family, sacrifice, and the seductive charms of darkness. In a bid to save her sister’s life, Beatrice must make a deal with Old Scratch, who’s currently seeking desperate souls and top-shelf music in small-town Louisiana. As forbidden hearts entangle and time runs short on Beatrice’s hunt for the would-be killer, the full picture of this hellish web dramatically comes into focus. This immersive and sharply penned novel is marked by consistent linguistic flair and the author’s unflinching […]

A heart-rending tale centered on faith, power, independence, and redemption, Please Don’t Marry Me: The Alyssa Holt Story by Irene Williams is a searing portrait of feminine survival in a world built by men. On the cusp of womanhood, Alyssa Holt runs away to Los Angeles to escape a marriage proposal from her lecherous small-town pastor, eventually finding happiness with new friends and a positive direction in life. However, Alyssa is soon drawn into another marital scam, one that echoes her past trauma, forcing her to confront what she truly desires in terms of love, connection, and commitment. Despite leaning […]

A raw, uncensored, and essential read about dirty deeds in the digital age, Sex Bytes by TechChick is a graphic peek under the sheets, delivered by a profoundly funny insider. Serving up savagely honest advice on everything from warm-up rubdowns and sloppy kissers to overworked body parts and mind-blowing sex acts, the unabashed author presents a Q&A review of kinky but fascinating knowledge. Whether you need new information on titillating positions, details on bedroom etiquette, or explicit tips on the specifics, this is a necessarily dirty plunge into every bedroom corner you could imagine, acting as both a relationship manual […]