Silver Nitrate is the latest book by the author of the excellent Mexican Gothic and the so-so The Daughter of Doctor Moreau. I was hoping this book was more like the first book. Unfortunately, it was not. My issue with Daughter was the slow pacing and the unoriginal subject matter.Continue Reading
Do you remember reading your favorite childhood book for the first time? It felt like the author had written the book solely for you. For me, that book was Alice in Wonderland. The Wishing Game gave me that same feeling. Thirtysomething Lucy has a favorite childhood book series called theContinue Reading
Everyone’s office has a Brian. He’s smart but obnoxious as well as the office suck up. One day, Brian gets a chain letter. You know, the kind you answer a question and forward to ten other people. This letter is an actual email from Hell. It asks the recipient whoContinue Reading
Forget everything you think you know about vampires. They can’t fly and sucking blood is just too much work when blood donation centers do all the work for you. A typical Vampire Weekend might be cleaning your house and running errands. Of course, you are a night owl, but otherContinue Reading
In London, Lucy and Henry are siblings who share a horrible childhood. But they are now grown up and recently received trust funds from their deceased parents. When a man from their troubled past resurfaces, the siblings are forced to dissect The Family Remains. Meanwhile, Lucy’s abusive ex is foundContinue Reading
Gangland is a standard story of the Chicago mob in its waning days beginning in the 1970s. While some of the characters are real people, others have been created for this book. I spent a lot of time on Wikipedia trying to separate the truth from the fiction. Overall, IContinue Reading
What did I just read? Aliens, cults, ghosts, hackers and a serial killer are all key players under The Big Dark Sky of Montana. A group of people are called to the Rustling Willows Ranch in Montana. Wyatt Ryder, a private detective, is paid by the ranch’s owner to investigateContinue Reading
You are anticipating the best steak dinner you have ever had. Your mouth is watering picturing your first bite. Then, the server puts a large cheeseburger in front of you with an explanation of how the restaurant is out of steak. Sure, the burger looks juicy—but it is no steak.Continue Reading
Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is the story of two childhood friends, Sam and Sadie. After being estranged for six years, they meet again when both are enrolled in nearby colleges. They decide to make a video game one summer that changes their lives. The plot, as stated above, doesn’tContinue Reading
The premise of the Trouble with Lichen is great. A modern fountain of youth is found. How will it be shared with the public? How will it impact human society overall? I had some serious problems with the prose. It has long wordy sentences throughout. Clearly, the author never metContinue Reading
Death and the Decorator is the twenty-first book in the Fethering mystery series. It started with the discovery of a thirty-year-old handbag in a wall during a remodeling job. Its owner, Anita Garner, had gone missing around the same time. Anita worked in the building, which was then a nursingContinue Reading
Metropolis is a five-story storage facility in downtown Boston. Six strangers are connected with it in mysterious ways. All have issues to be resolved. Then an incident happens at the facility shining a light on some of the shady dealings happening there. If you enjoy in-depth character studies of peopleContinue Reading
The Candy House is another mind-altering reading experience from the author of A Visit From the Goon Squad. An businessman/inventor offers a way to store your experiences including what everyone surrounding you felt about it (as long as you share your memories for all the world to see). It isContinue Reading
These Silent Woods is the story of a father’s love for his daughter and their unique fugitive life in the woods. The setting is so well described, I feel ready to move to the woods myself. However, it is so much more than that. It is a heartbreaking tearjerker too.Continue Reading
Are you ready for battle on The Blood Isles? Edinburgh’s youth volunteer to risk their lives in battle in exchange for money and fame. The rich sit back in comfort and bet on the battle’s outcome. The book is clearly a merging of The Vikings/Game of Thrones with Squid Game.Continue Reading
In The Summoning, Kit is a fraud. Kit’s tale is tragic. Her husband is missing after 9/11. Her teenage daughter has been in a coma for three years. As an aspiring, rather than working, actor, Kit is barely covering her bills by pretending to be a medium. The NYC policeContinue Reading