★★★☆☆ The second book in Andrew Mayne’s Jessica Blackwood series, Name of the Devil has Jessica investigating the explosion of a small town West Virginia church where the congregation appears to have vanished into thin air.
Category: Indie Reviews
Angel Killer by Andrew Mayne
★★★★☆ Angel Killer has a highly original premise, which is hard to find these days in the crime thriller genre. Just when it seemed like everything has been done and overdone in fiction books about the FBI investigating a serial killer, Andrew Mayne pulls a rabbit out of his hat with this fantastic read.
The Naturalist by Andrew Mayne
★★★☆☆ Theo Cray, a socially awkward computational biologist, is a suspect in the murder of a former student found dead in the Montana woods. Cray is released once local authorities find evidence that she was mauled by a bear, but he keeps inserting himself into the case and starts making connections to other disappearances.
The Black Velvet Dress by J.E. Clarkson
★★★★★ Women know there’s something magical about finding the right little black dress. But, what happens when the little black dress finds you? J.E. Clarkson’s eerie, 26-page short story revolves around this concept.
Before Dawn by Laura Murphy
★★★☆☆ Max Abbracciaventio, a biracial young woman living in New York with her adopted family, has made some questionable choices in her life. One of them was having an affair with an abusive married man 14 years her senior.
The Day After Never by Nathan Van Coops
★★★☆☆ The Day After Never is book three in Nathan Van Coops' time-traveling series. I loved In Times Like These, the first book in the series and, while I didn’t like The Chronothon (Book 2) quite as much, its Amazing Race-style plot and pacing held my attention.
Music in the Mirrors by Greg Kuznetsov
★★★☆☆ Music in the Mirrors takes place in a colorful fantasy kingdom of snow globes and mirrors - one that features a blowfish, 5,857 worlds, and intoxicating purple lemonade. The language is heavily metaphorical. There were times I read and enjoyed the observational, almost lyrical flow of this collection of connecting acts and short stories.
Emma’s Fury by Linda Rainier
★★★☆☆ Based on ancient Greek mythology, this book centers on Emma, who is reincarnated as a Fury after her savage death. Protected by a Gyges, a Fury exists to serve justice and preserve harmony between humans and the supernatural world. Through a story revolving around mythological beings that shouldn’t experience human feelings, Emma’s Fury presents an interesting perspective on ethics, human nature, and the impact an individual’s actions have on others.
Embryo Zero by Trevor Wynyard
★★★★☆ The second book in the dystopian fiction Streetlighters Trilogy, Embryo Zero again features brothers Matthew and Kevin Turner, along with a few new characters and familiar faces from the first book. The brothers are estranged as Matt takes Kevin’s place at university, and finds himself propelled into national hero status. Meanwhile, his younger brother makes a risky move in an attempt to have a different future for himself and his family.
Rise of the Phoenix by Anne Winchell
★★★★☆ The Rise of the Phoenix is the first book in The Imperial Saga, a fantasy series by Anne Winchell. Tahirah, and her brother, Khalid, are the only remaining royals after Tamarud is invaded. Tahirah must learn to harness her magical powers, lean on her allies, and claim her destiny.