SPR’s book reviews of new self-published books
Old Sins by Lynne Handy
Author Lynne Handy weaves a dark and stormy tale in Old Sins, the third ominously addictive novel in the Maria Pell Mystery Series.
Maria Pell once again finds her new home ominously plagued by death, which then draws her into the tangle of solving a spreading cliffside mystery. Despite being focused on summoning new words and poetic emotions in a much-needed cottage escape, Maria is pulled into the murder of a young woman, Bridget, which dredges up her own past trauma of discovering “Baby Doe.” What follows is an investigation of coincidence with diligence that would make Miss […]


Disaster has struck the frightened animals of Earthwood, thus beginning The Perilous Journey of Gavin the Great by Don Gutteridge, a clever and tender fable that also acts as a dire warning.
Wielding a vitriolic pen to summon a protagonist with a black cloud perpetually hanging over his head, Joseph DeMatteo’s Boxed In is a character-driven drama that unpacks the toxicity of men and modern life.
A recovering addict attempting to rejoin society is swept into the mysterious world of an eccentric sculptor in Oblivion Black by Christa Wojciechowski, a shadowy meditation on art, lust, fame and its ensuing destruction.
The start of an epic saga of one American family, Perpetual Gloom by Shelah A. Johnson is a vivid portrait of Depression-era history, and the launch pad for The Boloney Trail trilogy.
Stephen Altschuler, M.Ed. tackles the frustrating topic of insomnia and sleep struggles with his exhaustively researched and compelling new book, Beating Insomnia: A No-Nonsense Way to Natural Sleep.
A third high-seas thriller from the creative mind of Edward M. Hochsmann, Bravely and Faithfully adds stormy new flavor to his Cutter Kauai Sea Adventures series.