Mutt Cafe

Bizenghast Collectors Edition V.1 by M. Alice LeGrow Diamond Book Distributors Tokyopop Comics & Graphic Novels Pub Date 10 Jan 2017 Review Bizenghast is a beautifully illustrated gothic fantasy that has just the right blend of surreal fantasy and horror. Dahlia is a young woman haunted by ghosts and memories. Her visions disturb and confuse her. Her main comfort is her friend Vincent. Together they discover a strange graveyard where restless spirits dwell. Each night th

Crooked Street A Joanna Piercy police procedural by Priscilla Masters Severn House Publishers Mystery & Thrillers, General Fiction (Adult) Pub Dated: 01 Feb 2017 Review Crooked Street was a mystery far different than I expected, but I liked it. When a young husband disappears it quickly becomes clear that his perfect life is a lie. Instead of working as an executive accountant, Jadon runs a payday lending firm. It is the kind of business that destroys lives. Desperate peopl

Old Bones A British Police Procedural by Cynthia Harrod-Eagles Severn House Mystery & Thrillers, General Fiction (Adult) Pub Date 01 Feb 2017 Review Cold cases are intriguing - how do you investigate a murder when a number of the parties involved are dead? Old Bones is well done, both as a cold case procedural and a police drama. DCI Bill Slider is on the outs with higher-ups because he uncovered corruption in the ranks. A cold case is perfect, because it offends no one an

The Corners of the Globe By Robert Goddard Mystery & Thrillers, Espionage Mysterious Press Pub Date 7 June 2016 Review The Corners of the Globe is a fast paced spy thriller that easily sits beside such classics as The 39 Steps. The followup to Goddard's The Ways of the World kept me on the edge of my seat throughout. James Maxted is ostensibly working for the treacherous master spy Lemmer, but in reality is working for Appleby of the British Secret Service to bring Lemmer t

Kindred: A Graphic Novel Adaptation by Octavia E. Butler ABRAMS Abrams ComicArts Comics & Graphic Novels, Sci Fi & Fantasy Pub Date 10 Jan 2017 Review Octavia Butler is a natural storyteller well known for writing science fiction that is poignant and has an important message. Kindred is a sharply drawn graphic adaptation of Octavia Butler's classic novel of time travel and slavery - still considered one of the best novels accurately depicting the horrors of slavery and the d

Breaking Breads A New World of Israeli Baking--Flatbreads, Stuffed Breads, Challahs, Cookies, and the Legendary Chocolate Babka by Uri Scheft Artisan Books Artisan Cooking, Food & Wine Pub Date 18 Oct 2016 Review Variety is the spice of life and is an essential ingredient for a good cookbook, particularly one that focuses on baking. Breaking Breads definitely offers a large variety of recipes from sweet to savory. I particularly liked the sesame tahini cookies and the chees

The Stalker by Sally Spencer Endeavour Press Mystery & Thrillers, General Fiction (Adult) Pub Date 22 Dec 2016 Review After being impressed by Spencer's new novel The Shivering Turn, I decided to try Stalker. It definitely isn't a novel for everyone. It reads like an American 80s cop drama ala Miami Vice - very stereotyped. Beth Baker is a criminal lawyer trying to make ends meet and care for her children after her husband's suicide. Brody and his partner are assigned to

The Shivering Turn A new series set in Oxford by Sally Spencer Severn House Publishers Mystery & Thrillers, General Fiction (Adult) Pub Date 01 Feb 2017 Review Sally Spencer's new series featuring private investigator Jennie Redhead is off to an auspicious start. The Shivering a Turn is a compelling mystery set against the rapidly changing culture of 1970s Oxford. I like Spencer's other novels, but I think The Shivering Turn is her best thus far. It does an excellent job o

The Babe Ruth Deception by David O. Stewart Kensington Books Mystery & Thrillers Pub Date 27 Sep 2016 Review It took me a while to get into The Babe Ruth Deception. The novel starts slowly, so at one point I put it down to read something else. I was glad, however, that I went back to Stewart's novel because once the action picked up it was riveting. Like Stewart's other novels, The Babe Ruth Deception is well researched and intricately plotted. The corruption of the time,

Murder on the Mullet Express by Gwen Mayo and Sarah Glenn Mystery and Horror, LLC Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA), Members' Titles Mystery & Thrillers, History Pub Date 16 Jan 2017 Review The 1920s were a hot time for developers in the Sunshine State. The real estate business was booming. Living in Florida, and being familiar with some of the history led me to jump at the chance to read Murder on the Mullet Express. I am glad I did. Not only were the charac