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Other Countries A British police procedural by Jo Bannister Severn House Publishers General Fiction (Adult), Mystery & Thrillers Pub Date 01 June 2017 Review When it comes to couples in abusive relationships, people often ask how they got involved and why did they stay. The answers are never straightforward, as can be clearly seen in Other Countries. The newest Gabriel Ash mystery is not a traditional murder case. Instead, it focuses on his friend, DC Hazel Best’s whirlwind

Family Matters A British Library Crime Classic by Anthony Rolls Poisoned Pen Press Mystery & Thrillers Pub Date 02 May 2017 Review Family Matters is a delicious black comedy. It is a pleasure to see it back in print. Despite being originally released in 1933, the novel is in no way out of date. Robert Arthur Kewdingham is a horrible man. He is a lazy, rude, self-absorbed, pompous, and quarrelsome hypochondriac. He is such a fool that you don’t know whether to hate him or

Barking Up the Wrong Bakery By Stella St Claire Relay Publishing Mystery & Thrillers, Women’s Fiction Pub Date 18 May 2017 Review Dying for a coffee? Or simply dying for a cute cozy to pass the time with? Olivia Rickard is a dog walker who is as disorganized and flighty as many of her furry clients. Change is a four letter word in her book, but murder on the other hand...Fleeing from potential commitment, Olivia manages to stumble across the body of Yvette Dean in the back

Fox by Kelly Oliver JKS Communications Mystery & Thrillers Pub Date 01 May 2017 Review Kelly Oliver’s new novel, Fox, is a promising debut. She tackles important subjects including the victimization of women, mail order brides, women’s health issues, IVF (in vitro fertilization) and the controversy inherent in genetic manipulation (designer babies). Jessica James is a PhD student in philosophy. When she wakes up naked behind a dumpster after a drink with a hot medical inte

When the Grits Hit the Fan by Maddie Day Kensington Books Mystery & Thrillers Pub Date 28 Mar 2017 Review Maddie Day’s mysteries are as appealing and well composed as the tasty dishes Robbie Jordan serves at her restaurant, Pans and Pancakes. In When the Grits Hit the Fan, Robbie is faced with two intriguing mysteries. Little does she know they are connected. Robbie thinks she has seen the last of murder, but when she discovers the body of a mysogynistic professor and the p

London Calling by Sara Sheridan Kensington Books Mystery & Thrillers Pub Date 28 March 2017 Review It’s 1952 and Mirabelle Bevan has made a career as a collection’s agent along with her best friend Vesta. It is a turbulent era, and although Britain is better than the US, life still isn’t easy for a person of color. When an 18 year old debutante disappears after visiting a jazz club, suspicion falls on one of Vesta’s cousins, a saxophone player. His color and his profession

Wicked Wonders by Ellen Klages Tachyon Publications Literary Fiction, Sci Fi & Fantasy Pub Date 23 May 2017 Review Wicked Wonders is filled with stories that stir the imagination. They are not stories for children, despite many featuring children. They are stories of transformation, each unique and exceptional. I loved the tale wherein mathematics ends up being used to create a paradise for two youngsters, and that of the cartographer who uses origami to create a passage f

Some Practical Magic Book 1 of The Familiar Magic Series by Laurie C. Kuna BelleBooks ImaJinn Books Romance, Sci Fi & Fantasy Pub Date 29 Jul 2004 Review Some Practical Magic is a light paranormal romance that will leave your nose twitching in delight. Having grown up with reruns of Bewitched, I had to smile as I read Some Practical Magic. Laurie C Kuna unashamedly pays tribute to the classic sitcom. Despite there being some “thriller” elements, Some Practical Magic is mos

Bad Housekeeping An Agnes and Effie Mystery by Maia Chance Crooked Lane Books Mystery & Thrillers Pub Date 13 Jun 2017 Review Dumped by the boyfriend she put through grad school and on the cusp of losing her summer job, things are not going well for Agnes. Faced with living at home and with no job on the horizon, Agnes agrees to help her larger than life Great Aunt Effie refurbish the Stagecoach Inn. Life goes from bad to worse when she and Effie discover the body of K

Children of the New World by Alexander Weinstein Text Publishing General Fiction (Adult) , Sci Fi & Fantasy Pub Date 27 Apr 2017 Review Children of the New World blew me away with the quality of the stories included in the anthology. Like Phillip K Dick, Alexander Weinstein captivates the reader’s imagination and keeps them pondering long after the last page is turned. The best science fiction stories are those that are both plausible and thought provoking, stirring the