Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

Review: Last Night in Granada by Chris Pellizzari

Our physical place in the world defines so much of our mindset, and the longing to be elsewhere can be toxic, addictive and impossible to ignore. The main character in Chris Pellizzari’s new novel, Last Night in Granada, understands this desire for a far-flung home, a refuge of love and peace away from the mad bustle of cold water flats and the harsh streets of Chicago.

In this surreal exploration of one man’s desperation and adoration for his old life in Spain, despite his exile, the author delves into the obsession of possible salvation, and escape. Along the way, […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-06-21T11:15:55+02:00May 23rd, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Contemporary Fiction, Literary Fiction|

Review: The King of No by Loyall Wilson

In a perfect world, we could trust those to whom we open our lives, but when it comes to money, it truly can be the root of all evil. In The King of No: A Financial Firefighter by Loyall Wilson, the author takes us through a series of personal anecdotes from his time as a Chief Compliance Officer of a large investment firm. Wilson’s position meant that he was on the front lines of defending against fraud and financial crimes, and was able to form relationships with people whose lives and trust were damaged – or nearly destroyed – by […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-06-20T07:39:19+02:00May 22nd, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Business, Finance, Memoir|

Review: Can’t Forget the Motor City… by Joseph Nicks

The tradition of travel writing in America is a long and proud one, but travel poetry doesn’t have the same mainstream following. However, in Can’t Forget the Motor City…, a new collection of poems from Joseph Nicks, the genre gains a strong voice that anyone who has longed for the open road will appreciate.

These poems span four decades of a life spent wandering and wondering, always looking for something new and invigorating. From musings on repetitive youth in the Great Lakes to the sluggish, sunny pace of California, these poems exude a hunger for elsewhere, with the poet […]

SPR2020-08-24T09:10:53+02:00May 20th, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Poetry, Travel|

Review: Shattered Shield by Camden Mays

A story that could have been ripped from the headlines – or a heavily redacted report – Shattered Shield by Camden Mays is a riveting spy thriller that draws readers in with an intoxicating flood of action and suspense.

Cole Cameron is a leading character that you might recognize – a worn out government agent who is beginning to question his path in life, and may be dipping his fingers outside of the boundaries of the law. However, when real danger rears its head, he dives back into his duty, and his patriotic, heroic side wins out over the bitterness […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-05-20T04:54:07+02:00May 19th, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Spy Thriller, Terrorist Thriller, Thriller|

Review: Fallout by William Hunter

The past never stays where it’s supposed to be buried, a truth that becomes painfully apparent in Fallout, the latest riveting thriller from author William Hunter. Fresh off his critically acclaimed novel Sanction, this new adventure pulls readers between the dark days of the Cold War and a modern-day spree of assassinations to cover up secrets more than three decades old.

Banastre Montjoy returns in this novel and heads up the investigation into why ex-British intelligence agents are being wiped out, particularly those linked to a disastrous and failed operation in the death strip between East and West […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-06-12T13:14:23+02:00May 18th, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Spy Thriller, Thriller, William Hunter|

Review: Blood Upon the Sands by Sheldon Charles

The complexities of geopolitics are no longer being kept to the realms of academia and politics, and fascinating stories based on real-world conflicts are becoming more and more accessible with every passing year. In Blood Upon the Sands, the second book in the Evan Davis series by Sheldon Charles, the intrepid writer-turned-world traveler finds himself in Kuwait, where there is serious trouble brewing.

Working for a local horse-breeder, Evan’s obvious foreignness makes him stand out, while his instincts as a writer tell him to never ignore a story – particularly when it is dropped directly in his lap. What […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-05-17T08:14:19+02:00May 17th, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: International Thriller, Sheldon Charles, Thriller|

Review: Urgent Justice (Vigilante Justice Book 2.5) by John Etzil

Jack Lamburt has already had his fair share of fights as a small-town sheriff in rural New York, but this latest thriller by John Etzil, Urgent Justice, sees the intrepid hero hit the road in search of a missing local girl. However, this time, the sheriff won’t be going on his action-packed adventure alone. With a rough-around-the-edges nonagenarian sidekick, Jack Lamburt must take down a powerful religious leader and child abuser with an entire town gunning for the vigilante duo.

While their journey begins as a simple mission to scope out the town where the girl supposedly disappeared, Lamburt isn’t […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2019-05-17T08:05:49+02:00May 16th, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: John Etzil, Thriller, Vigilante Justice Series|

Review: Paladin (Firebrand Book 2) by Sarah MacTavish

Secrets are at the heart of Paladin, Sarah MacTavish’s inspirational work of historical fiction for young adults, and the second book in the Firebrand series.

It’s the spring of eighteen sixty-one. The country’s torn in half by those in the South who don’t want slavery to end and those in the north who find the concept despicable – so when Lincoln calls men to arms, four friends from Dove Hollow, Pennsylvania rise to the call.

Jack, Westleigh and Allison have their own reasons for joining, but collectively they’ve made a pact to protect the fourth member of their group. […]

Marta Cheng2019-06-07T11:12:44+02:00May 16th, 2019|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Historical Fiction, Sarah MacTavish, Young Adult|