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Review of The Guest List

Mysterious, isolated island? Check. List of victims…er, guests? Check. Atmospheric setting? Check. Victim? Uh…victim? Hello?

Cover of The Guest List

The Guest List is a mystery without a victim through most of its story, and therein lies the genius. Lucy Foley has concocted a story where the reader has to make it through most of the novel to figure out who-gets-it before they can guess who-did-it. The gimmick is double the fun—as long as you don’t peek at the ending—of trying to determine who murders who.

I won’t spoil how this is achieved other than to say it works. If readers don’t mind the author playing with chronology, they should enjoy making their way through the narrative.

The basic premise of the plot has been done hundreds of times but is always good for a thrill. A number of guests are invited to an island, in this case, for a wedding. Most of the guests are unimportant, but a handful are central to the out-of-sequence plot. Surrounded by a cast of supporting characters, the main suspects (or victims) go about their business, alluding to future events and past secrets.

The island and weather are described in exciting detail—one of the strengths of the book. Like great mystery novels, the veil between the living and dead is as thin as plastic wrap. The setting is an island rumored to have ghosts, complete with an eerie castle, an echoing cave, and a hungry bog. And while this could have been handled superficially, the author squeezed a modern scene into each, juxtaposing past and present in an enjoyable manner.

As you’d expect, the wedding centers on the bride and groom, but also on a number of other important roles. In addition to the mystery, the author pokes fun at the concept of an extravagant wedding, and in some cases, marriage. Weddings are supposed to be romantic events with a party who supports the bride and groom. This wedding couldn’t be further from that ideal. On the outside, the affair appears to be a fairytale wedding, but underneath lie corpses from the past, their hands clutching to be released from their coffins.

Though The Guest List is an entertaining read, it may leave some wanting more. Top of the list is the amount of coincidences that occur in the novel. At one point, I wondered if one of the characters was so bad that he started a war among his other misdeeds. The novel stretches the realm of disbelief nearly to a breaking point. That said, in its favor, The Guest List plays more than fair with the main mystery—the one that ultimately counts.

The second is an interesting commentary on modern society. It’s hard to care about anyone at the beginning, but as it progresses, some characters are more victimized than others. By the end, though, some receive their comeuppance and some don’t. Because of who gets away and who doesn’t, it’s difficult to like anyone at the end of the novel.

Despite these issues, The Guest List still has a lot to offer. It’s a top-notch thriller, a decent mystery, and fast-paced read. Lucy Foley is a master of settings and motivations. Hopefully, she will use similar techniques in a future novel.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07WG8L7WC

Everything Else

Review of Monster

Cover of Monster

Karen Diem’s fourth superhero novel, Monster, starts out with an international incident of city-sized proportions. When our three favorite heroes: Arca, Muse, and Wingspan show up to take care of business, they are immediately upstaged. Much like the opening segment to an Indiana Jones adventure, this episode serves to introduce the uninitiated to characters and the Arca world. Throw in some fast and furious action and you have a great opening.

Monster progresses in a different direction when main character Zita (aka Arca) continues her hunt for a madman threatening her family. When law enforcement proves to be useless, Zita takes matters into her own hands and goes out looking for the psychopath herself. Her search, in which her friend Muse takes an active role, leads her to a one-of-a-kind nightclub with some interesting people.

I’ve read the first three novels in this series and enjoyed them quite a bit. The stories have become progressively more fantastic, but Monster is a bit more restrained in scope and scale. This story introduces us to a new corner of Zita’s world through a character named Dmitri. This narrative is an interesting diversion from the usual capes-and-tights sequence a reader might expect from the Arca world.

Monster engages the reader with several fight scenes, sticking to the author’s successful formula of the first three novels. This novel is unique in defining a different class of preternatural people than superheroes. A winter setting also sets this narrative apart, providing a different perspective on setting. Another group of “caped crusaders,” actually more like mercenaries-for-hire, take a prominent part in this offering. These mercenaries are always welcome in these novels. While the plot meanders a bit, the key objective to hunt down and bring the psychopath to justice remains Zita’s driving motivation. As always, the book reads like an entertaining action-adventure graphic novel or movie.

This novel is heavy on the plot and less on character development. While Zita struggles with her proclivity toward one character in particular, the growth she experiences doesn’t seem like a major step forward for her. I certainly understood the underlying theme and wished more pages were added to document her struggle with her emotions. Contrast this with her relationship with one other mysterious character who has been in the series since book one. This interaction inched forward a bit more, and it opened up possibilities of where it could go next. More of this thread would be welcome.

Superhero fans and action-adventure readers both will enjoy Monster. The novel wraps up a plotline running since the first book that should satisfy long-time fans. Overall, fun and enjoyable, pick up Monster for a breezy, bitingly good time.

Amazon Link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07QB9RH6H

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Thriller Thursday

My story, Beware Said the Man of Straw, has been published in an online magazine called Havok on Thriller Thursday. 

And I couldn’t be more pleased.

See https://gohavok.com/ (only available on Thursday, January 14, 2021).

Image by Gordon Johnson from Pixaby

It’s been a longtime dream of mine to publish a short horror story (and beyond calling it a horror story, I won’t say anything more). I’ve been an avid reader of the genre for years and admire the greats in horror fiction, past and present.

My publication made me think about this little corner of storytelling. When you picture fiction, picture a Victorian street straight out of a Christmas Carol. There’s a brightly lit store called Romance which is four stories tall. One story lit in enticing red, but we won’t speak too much about that one. And across the way is Adventure, built not of stone but of wood with a thatch roof. Why, there’s Mystery down the lane, looking all dark and gloomy yet the entire purpose of the store is to guide you to its spectacular exit. And there’s Fantasy shaped like a castle and Science Fiction shaped like a rocket ship next to each other. Nearby is Contemporary, well-lighted and all sleek and modern looking.

But down a small alley is a black-painted door with a blood-red lettered sign on top. “Horror” it proclaims! The alleyway has shadows where none should be, and you swear you saw someone peeking at you from a window above the store. Yes, it takes nerve to enter. But that’s the rub, so many do.

Why do people like horror novels? I’m purposely focusing here on books, not movies or any other media. A horror movie, play, even television episode is something that exists in time. You choose to experience it knowing precisely when it will be over. Books are an altogether different beast. You choose and must actively read to experience a horror novel. Reading is an active experience. Reading a horror novel invites the feeling of suspense and dread. You are not only the participant but, because novels aren’t visual, also the perpetrator. Subconsciously, you’re asking your imagination to scare you, with a lot of help from the author, sure, but you are more invested. Your mind is the movie screen.

So why do people do this? Why do people seek out zombies, murder, psychopaths, and haunted houses? Obviously, some don’t. They hate horror novels, and it’s fairly easy to see why. For the rest of us, what is the compulsion to read something that’s scary? I think it has to do with curiosity and thrill-seeking.

Thrillseekers first. Some people love a challenge. They want to be scared but come out of it the other side. Usually, these people enjoy horror novels. My neighborhood is boring, but what if a vampire lived next door? The office is the same every day but wouldn’t be cool if my cubemate was a psychopath? And what if we’re working late on a project together? And I step away to get something, check my phone and receive a note that my companion is a psychopath? I return to my cube, but my cube mate is gone. On my desk is a letter. “I know you know.” Rather livens up the old workplace, doesn’t it? Thrillseekers are roller coaster riders. They enjoy the rush.

The curious aren’t often talked about. Let’s face it—horror novels are about death, pure and simple. That’s the end game with nearly all horror novels. Sure, some have soul-destruction and other metaphysical tortures but mostly they’re about death. The curious ask “What’s after death?” And where are they going to find that answer? In a romance, in a contemporary, in a western? Usually not. No, why are there ghosts? What happened to zombies and could it happen to me? What if you were immune to most forms of death, like a werewolf, but at a cost of being savage? Be careful here, a novel could be about a werewolf but not involve death at all, and have no suspense. That’s a fantasy. Horror novels trade their wares in blood money.

There are as many reasons to love horror novels as there are readers. More than thrill-seeking and curiosity, certainly, but I think these two motivate a lot of people. Horror novels say “Come with me and I will thrill you and show you a glimpse of the life hereafter.” Who wouldn’t want flip page after page for that?

Everything Else

Let’s Create Some Havok!

On January 14, an online ezine known as Havok published my short story Beware Said the Man of Straw. A countless number of adjectives can’t express my feelings right now. I’m honored, grateful, excited, thrilled, just to name a few. Havok’s website is: https://gohavok.com/

Havok is an online flash fiction site that publishes genre short stories. A few of the authors I follow have contributed some delightful stories to it. As I read the stories on Havok’s site and the corresponding novels Havok publishes, I started to understand the site’s purpose for writers and readers. It’s to convey entertainment in a short package as well as fill a gap desperately needed in this age.

I collect stories from pulp magazines like Weird Tales which saw their heyday in the 1920s through 1940s. I’m willing to bet most people who submit to Havok have enshrined Weird Tales in their mind. While Havok isn’t Weird Tales—it’s fiction is too short and their guidelines too direct—it serves a similar purpose as those magazines of yesteryear.

Weird Tales and similar magazines gave birth to a number of memorable stories and introduced the world to great writers the likes of Ray Bradbury, August Dereleth, and Robert E. Howard. The writers and editors of Havok provide a similar function, something desperately needed in this world—providing entertaining fiction sans trappings and drek of modern fiction. When Weird Tales was at its apex, people delighted reading wildly imaginative stories without limits. By limits, I mean feedback like: “this is too liberal or conservative,” “this isn’t sexy or violent enough,” or “this doesn’t fit what the current audience is looking for.” As a world of readers, we’ve forgotten that reading is meant to be enjoyed not consumed!

My younger self would be proud of my story. After college, I wanted to be a horror writer. It was my favorite genre, and I thought I knew what it took to spin tension-filled yarn. I subscribed to many small-publication magazines like Cemetery Dance and read and reread them. I mimicked styles, infused creativity, and tried to think like Rod Serling and Richard Matheson. Alas, rejection letter after rejection letter poured in. One in particular broke my heart, and I gave up trying to publish. I wrote privately for my family and friends for years, dreaming of publication but admonishing myself. Publishing was a goal out of my reach.

Image by
Willgard Krause

Recently, I decided to self-publish novels, bringing me immense personal satisfaction. Older, maybe even wiser, I have tried my hand in the market again. Again, rejection letters have poured in, but this time I understand the difference between art and product. Am I good enough to be published? Havok thinks so. They will never know how monumental their decision to publish my little yarn was to me. And so, rejection will still be a part of my life, and I hope it will always be because it makes me a better writer. No resting on laurels here!

And so my little lexicon is an homage to the stories I wrote in my early days. I’ve come a long way since then and hope to publish more to share my art. But for now, I’m very proud to provide a little piece of dark imaginings with you.

Note: If it’s not January 14, 2021, please read the current Havok story they have available for free at https://gohavok.com/. My story will only be available to everyone on January 14.

Everything Else

Review of Beggar Magic

A creative magic system, a well-defined caste organization, an intriguing mystery, and a deep friendship set the stage for Beggar Magic, a fantasy novel by H. L. Burke. When Leilani, a Commoner (low caste) meets Zebedy, a Highmost (high caste), it seems they make an unlikely pair. However, the two quickly become close despite their differences. Zebedy has multiple choices for her future, is well-educated, and has direct access to the Strains, an audio essence that makes up their society’s magic system. And then there’s Leilani. She is limited in her future options, is resourceful but not as well-informed, and only hears the Strains enough to perform minor spells known as beggar magic.

The novel unfolds around a mystery involving the Strains, but the real power of this novel is in its ideas. Burke refuses to precisely define the nature of the magic within Gelia City, normally something a fantasy author shouldn’t do, but it works here to the novel’s benefit. The Strains aren’t exactly “elemental magic” nor are they gods or dead ancestors. Their ambiguity is fascinating and the Strains are a character in their own right.

The other surprising element of Beggar Magic is the caste system. While some of the book deals with discrimination, Burke plays against making this a one-note morality lesson. Some of the Highmost are selfless and the Commoners are rogues—as Leilani finds out one night. Instead, her main and secondary characters are both noble and ignoble at the same time.

H. L. Burke possesses that rare ability to entice readers to say they’re only going to read a few chapters, but instead they end up glued to the book late into the night. While the central tension of Beggar Magic is introduced later in the novel, the world-building is so unique that the earlier pages flip rapidly. Her sparkling characters are another reason to stay up past bedtime. Commoner Leilani fulfills all that’s required from the gallery of downtrodden-but-irrepressible heroines, and Zebedy constantly defies expectations. It’s easy to see why Leilani likes her.

While the novel is highly enjoyable, a few bits at the end follow convention a little too closely. A surprise connection between two of the characters gives Beggar Magic a happier ending, but perhaps ties things up a little too neatly. Other than that small detail, this novel works on so many levels, not the least of which is emotional. Overflowing with feeling, Burke takes the reader on an up-and-down journey to rival any rollercoaster.

It’s too bad that traditional publishers overlook unique concepts when searching for new novels, but fortunately independent publishing fills that gap. Beggar Magic presents a creative concept that is difficult to market but a marvel to read. It’s worth reading well into the night.

Amazon Review: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00NYSOVLO

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Review of The Girl in the Clockwork Tower

Lou Wilham’s The Girl in the Clockwork Tower is a steampunk, fairytale retelling of a trapped, tender-hearted Rapunzel. The world is split between humans and the preternatural beings called “the enhanced” with humans acting in the role of oppressors of any other creatures.

Persinette, the girl in the clockwork tower, works for the evil organization MOTHER and her handler Gothel. Persinette’s special abilities include having visions of the enhanced and being able to pinpoint their locations. When she relays this information, MOTHER moves in and sends them to the camps, similar to Nazi concentration camps. At the start of the novel, Persinette, or Persi, struggles with her conscience for her years of betraying her own people. She contemplates resisting or subverting MOTHER, but knows she’ll eventually be caught and sent to the camps.

Meanwhile, riding high above the population, Manu Kelii, a pirate captain who is part of the faction who oppose MOTHER known as the Uprising, sets off on his next mission in his airship. He is to make contact with Persi and have her feed him information to help save the enhanced. Captain Manu is a flamboyant flirt and one of the more humorous characters in the novel.

This novel is far more than a simple retelling. The world is richly populated with a diverse number of enhanced, each with their own special powers. The setup, especially the conflict between humans and non-humans, recall Marissa Meyer’s Lunar Chronicles with steampunk replacing space opera. An enjoyable interpretation, Wilham builds a lot on the short Rapunzel story and creates a lavender-haired main character who is both loveable and admirable—a great heroine. Manu is more than just a foil for Persi, and he finds his world changed by her meek resolve. Wilham uses clever devices to give these two many scenes together even when they are physically separated.

As the novel progresses, Persi’s situation becomes more and more dire, and Manu is forced to make a hard decision. The author keeps the tension high to the action-packed climax. Rarely in multiple POV novels do both characters come off as strong-willed but they do here. And while not every thread is wrapped up in a bow, the main narrative concludes with a satisfying result.

Steampunk elements appear through the novel, but this genre doesn’t really drive this novel. While technically it is a steampunk book, if you’re hoping for the usual mechanical companions or fantastic inventions associated with the genre, you might feel slighted. The focus here is on the fantasy elements. But these errors are small details when compared to the solid plot, engaging characters, and creative situations.

Wilhem promises more novels in this series and here’s to hoping she continues. More than a few threads started in Clockwork Tower could be explored. This richly-rendered first offering deserves a full-on series.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08FM24ZQG

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Announcing a New Novel: Deliver Us

In 2021, I plan to publish my fourth book and third full-length novel in the Kingdom series of Kingdom Fantasy. The title is called Deliver Us: A Kingdom Fantasy Novel.

After Sondra and Harold Saturn bail the Little Match Girl and Alice of Wonderland out of jail, they learn the fairytale world of Kingdom is in peril. A trio of witches is killing and cursing the fairytale people, and the royals haven’t been able to stop them. But instead of heading directly to Kingdom, the Saturns are charged with traveling well beyond Kingdom’s borders to convince a sorceress of supreme power to aid them. Harold is excited to see this new location, while Sondra has a secret wish she wants the sorceress to grant.

Back in Kingdom, the witches continue to spread terror and put the queens’ loved ones at risk. Time is fleeting as the hags grow in power and malice. Even if Harold and Sondra succeed in their task, will help come in time?

In Deliver Us, the third book in the Kingdom Fantasy series, a progression of quests in exotic locales will bring together a small—but familiar—group to confront merciless opponents. Curses, powerful artifacts, transformations, murders, animated tattoos, and proper manners all combine toward a thrilling conclusion in which those who confront the evil must find a way to defeat the witches or lose their souls.

Deliver Us is the third novel in the Kingdom Fantasy Series started with Kingdom Come and continued with On Earth, As It Is. The three novels may be read in any order for they are all standalone stories, however, chronologically Deliver Us is the latest in time. If the above description interests you, start with Deliver Us. I provide background of the prior two novels at the start of the story to give you context.

The third novel will be slightly shorter than the other two but full of both reimagined fairytale and new characters. You’ll find a spunky Cinderella, combative Red Riding Hood, and talented Beauty (of Beauty and the Beast) here. I enjoyed playing with tropes and conventions in the first novel, and deepened the characters in the second offering. This novel focuses on broadening the world. If the first book is plot-heavy and the second is character-heavy, this one is setting-heavy. I would pitch it as a mixture of The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen with The Voyage of the Dawn Treader.

My main characters, Harold and Sondra Saturn, are happily married and living in a suburb in their starter home three years after the events of On Earth, As It Is. Their only unfulfilled desire is they don’t control their ability to go to and from Kingdom. One evening, they receive a phone call from Valencia—better known as the Little Match Girl—who was arrested trying to break into Harold and Sondra’s old condominium in an attempt to find them. It’s up to our suburban heroes to bail her out. Valencia’s not here on a social call, however. Something is wrong in Kingdom, and she needs the Saturns’ help to complete a quest.

If you favor the idea of fairytale characters interacting with each other and making tough choices, you’ll like Deliver Us. The novel stems from concepts like “Would fairytale princesses be in favor of capital punishment?” or “What if you were married but destiny indicated you had the wrong spouse?” and other ideas.

As evidenced by the questions above, Deliver Us is intended for adults because of the nature of its themes, but the book has no gratuitous violence, excessive profanity, or explicit sex scenes, and may be read by a teenager. The violence is always fairytale style, and the sex and profanity are likely less than you’d read in a typical, mainstream YA novel.

I hope you’ll consider reading Deliver Us. I’ve worked hard on it for years, hiring professionals in their fields, to bring you the best in entertainment. I want to take you somewhere different while never leaving your house. I think you’ll be pleased with the journey.

The Deliver Us page will be the permanent landing page for the novel instead of this transient blog entry. Over time, I’ll add subpages, stories, and art.

Pre-orders are up now and the book available for purchase on April 20, 2021.

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Review of Proxima

Proxima by Chase Hildenbrand is a science fiction action adventure in which humans have ravaged Earth’s natural resources and must find a way to survive. The situation leaves the human race no choice but to build space arks and head for the nearest habitable planet, Proxima. However, not everyone wants the space travelers to leave.

Starting with an action scene and rarely letting up, this exciting novel twists and turns with a driving plot and perspectives from primarily two people: lovers Liam Donovan and Ann Caldwell. Liam is overseeing the construction of the fifth space ark to Proxima and attempting to keep terrorists at bay. He becomes involved in investigating the group trying to stop the exodus from Earth. Ann is a biologist and passenger on the ark ready to identify and potentially populate plant life on Proxima.

As described above, the novel appears to be chiefly about getting the ships on their way to Proxima, but the book has more on its mind than a race into space. If you are a science fiction fan, you won’t be disappointed. All the elements scifi fans love in space travel novels are here. Proxima takes its time describing the technology and philosophy of the outer space journey. The reader is rewarded with a plot that holds together and makes sense.

The sequences are intermixed between action and exposition. Never dull, the world-building, and personalities are rich with detail. As with many science fiction and fantasy books, memorable characters are in abundance here. The main motivation between Liam and Ann, and their individual situations, work in the book’s favor, driving the plot forward.

While enjoyable, Proxima could be improved in future installments. The narrative loses its grip when the book explains character motivations instead of allowing them to flow from their behavior. And while the viewpoints are primarily Liam and Ann’s, other’s perspectives are intermixed in scenes that tend to slow down the tension.

Proxima may be enjoyed as a standalone novel or the first in a series. The book is an engaging read, creating surprising turns of events in a seemingly straightforward plot to travel to a sustainable world. If you’re looking for a space-centered adventure, this is a book to pick up.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08B8TLRY5

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Review of Calico Thunder Rides Again

A hero who stands alone, malicious bandits, wild animals. Does that sound like a western? Surprise! It’s a fantasy. With western underpinnings but fused heavily with its fantasy elements, Calico Thunder Rides Again makes for one thrilling read.

Inheriting a traveling circus from his father, Jake Strickland has been managing it for years and been living on the road with the performers. Jake, a former stunt rider, has found he has fallen for the animal trainer, Grace Hawkins. Life is good until someone arrives and tells him about an old debt of his father’s.

Repaying a debt might not appear to be a plot device to hang an adventure on, but it allows the reader to see how much Jake cares for the circus performers. As the story progresses, the desperation of the characters increases, and the relationship to each other grows more and more important. Jake’s sacrifices for the show and Grace’s resolve and support of Jake are admirable.

The world-building, the circus life, and the tension work together to keep the reader enthralled in Calico Thunder Rides Again’s grip. When the climax comes, author T. A. Hernandez weaves some magic of her own with her poignant passages. The depth of feeling the characters have for each other is beautifully described and tugs at the reader’s heart.

The last quarter of the book changes the tone of the novel. The energy of the plot and writing propels the narrative forward to an amazing conclusion. This novel has a satisfying ending, sure to please even the most picky reader.

One note about the cover art and art design of Calico Thunder Rides Again. It’s amazing! Also created by author T. A. Hernandez, the illustration, colors, and design blend together perfectly. This indie cover compliments the engrossing story inside. Go ahead and judge this book by its cover.

This novel is enjoyable from start to finish. While all characters are adults, the story isn’t mired in mundane adult drama, complimenting its exciting tone. Most of the novel hums along as readers expect it will right to the end. A jarring twist at the end wouldn’t have fit the theme or sense of exhilaration the novel wants to convey.

Calico Thunder Rides Again is a fun and spirited romp of a circus-fantasy-western. Take it for a “ride.” You won’t be disappointed.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07Y2BFGL6

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Review of Eden’s Voice

Eden’s Voice by Catherine Stein is a steampunk fantasy set in Ann Arbor, Michigan in autumn of 1904. It’s the advent of the 1900s with a bustling University of Michigan campus, a new invention called motorcars, and this odd sport known as “American football.” This isn’t, however, historical fiction, so the world is also full of mechanical dragons, biomechanical engineering, and steam-powered gadgets.

Bruce Caldwell is a writer who covers athletic events, and the book starts with him writing about the 1904 Olympics. Eden Randall is a young lady fascinated with football, rooting for her favorite team—the University of Michigan Wolverines. Eden also speaks her mind freely and doesn’t care about 1904 manners. The novel does a lot with Eden’s frankness and unwillingness to abide by societal norms.

Bruce is sent to cover the Wolverines for a season and meets Eden watching the mechanical mascot on the sidelines. From there, the story evolves into equal parts romance and adventure.

The novel shines as a romance. Forget your preconceived notions of how it will evolve, it will go in a completely different, and delightful, direction. Following Eden navigate the adult world of romance to apply her matter-of-fact scientific method is hilarious. Eden is spunky without knowing it. In fact, she thinks she’s the weird girl, but it’s easy to see why so many men are attracted to her. Bruce is an interesting foil for Eden’s antics and is a solid second-hand narrator. Because of Eden’s personality, the story takes a new angle on the out-of-town boy meets the sassy girl.

The adventure, while fun, is less engaging than the romance. In many ways, it’s there to serve the romance of the novel and support the excellent cast of characters Stein has created. 

Another wonderful aspect of Eden’s Voice is its setting, especially in terms of time. While certainly geographically accurate, the time is standard for steampunk fare but doesn’t exist in some fantasy version of an unknown country, New York, or London. This is a small Midwestern city centered around a college campus, and things like bonfires and football games add to the “magic” that is a university.

In the end, Eden must make a decision, but it’s not the choice the reader will anticipate at the start of the book. When the ending comes and Eden must choose, it’s a powerful scene and it’s pulled off well by the author. The reader will feel pathos for the characters when it happens, and it completes the narrative on a strong note.

Overall, Eden’s Voice is a book with charming characters, a unique setting (both place and time), and a well-incorporated use of steampunk. The elements come together to reward the reader with a fantastic, independently-published novel.

Note: The fact the reviewer is a University of Michigan graduate in no way influenced this review…much.

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07W5D6R3Z