Mike Lawson is one of those writers that seems to fly under the radar. House Standoff is the fifteenth title in his Joe DeMarco series and it just as solid as the other titles I have read from him. What makes this novel even more appealing is that it can be read as a stand-alone,…
“The lies we tell ourselves during stable hours—like I’m a good person or I don’t deserve this—become the lies we bury deep down, too far to access, in times of pain.” These thoughts are from the mind of protagonist Claire Lou a.k.a. Marissa Mo who is one of the more troubled narrators you will come…
Former illusionist and now bestselling author Andrew Mayne used to have a cable series entitled “Don’t Trust Andrew Mayne”. If you take that same recommendation and apply it to his writing you will have some idea of the games you are in for with his latest novel titled Black Coral. Just when you think you…
One man can make history; another can change it. A high-octane historical thriller, The Eagle and the Viper from novelist Loren D. Estleman reveals how close our world came to total war. Prolific author Loren D. Estleman turns his attention to a novel that mixes actual historical events with speculative fictional events in sort of…
For those viewers who watched the nine seasons of Homicide Hunter: Lt. Joe Kenda, this novel will be a real treat. If you were not able to catch that show, which was on the Investigation Discovery (ID) Cable Network, it now has gained a whole new crop of fans with the advent of the Discovery+…
In the thirtieth installment of Donna Leon’s Commissario Guido Brunetti series, Brunetti is pushed to his limits as he is forced to confront an unimaginable crime. There must be something said for longevity. In this case, I refer to the latest release by author Donna Leon title Transient Desires, which is now the 30th installment…
Do you remember learning about super-spy Virginia Hall in social studies or history class back in the day? No? Well, neither did I. This is not a bad thing because that indicates that she did her job well. As an American fighting with the resistance forces during WWII, Virginia did indeed remain invisible. The spy…
During the crazy and stressful climate we currently live in, it is nice to spend a few hours escaping into a good book. I often enjoy novels that take me to other parts of the world, especially when real-life travel is presently so restricted. The latest novel from Tasmanian author Robbie Arnott meets these needs.…
Missing and Endangered by J. A. Jance is an evocative and atmospheric mystery, where Cochise County Sheriff Joanna Brady’s professional and personal lives collide when her college-age daughter is involved in a missing persons case. It pleases me to no end to be reviewing a title from legendary author J. A. Jance, whom I have…
The cover of the haunting Tibetan-based novel The Ghost Moths by Harry Farthing features a quote that really cuts directly to the undercurrent that runs beneath the entire narrative: ‘The past can only determine the future if it survives the present.’ Sounds like a fortune cookie at a progressive Asian restaurant, but it really nails…
