SPR’s book reviews of new self-published books
Lower World by Eloise Harmann
For fans of science-fiction fantasy, author Eloise Harmann delivers a list of classic touches that include a hugely diverse cast of characters, quotes by Neil deGrasse Tyson, and a weighty page-count, in this unusual underwater saga.
In Lower World, author Harmann writes a corporate tech-political murder-mystery that sees an underwater community, the tetrapeds, threatened by a landlubbing world. Teeming with information on marine life and geological features of the ocean’s floor, the premise explains that the Great Unexplored is not Deep Space at all, but the oceans of our own planet, offering a highly inventive world that skirts the […]


Mr. Wonderful by Daniel Blake Smith delves into the life of an academic, juggling family and his teaching career. Concerned about his aging father who is dealing with medical issues, Brian is faced with an adopted adult son who just can’t seem to find his way in life and inevitably ends up returning home while on the run from a dangerous situation. The sudden arrival of his son adds to the upheaval and adds further strain to what seems like an already threadbare marriage.
Jate’s Boy, the fourth book in the Michael Butler Saga by Peter P. Sellers is a thrilling addition to the storied history of crime novels centered around horse racing.
The Matriarch Matrix by Maxime Trencavel is an epic work of science fiction spanning the distant past to the near future. The book takes place in various time periods and locations, from Siirt to San Francisco, to the ancient wars of the Black Sea, all following the tale of the titular entity known as Matriarch, and the lives she has changed over 12,000 years.
Who knew that a tropical cruise could be a health hazard – and for some, even deadly? Such is the case in Twisted Threads, Kaylin McFarren’s high-octane cruise ship whodunit, her fourth offering in the Threads series.
Hard times and dark days set a grim tone for Wyatt Hamby’s hardboiled crime tale, The Haunted Streets, Book 1 in The Vacant Exordium series.
Life and dating can be challenging at the best of times but writer and blogger Marisa Ferraro outlines the right approach to both in The Stiletto Woman: Reigniting Personal Empowerment.