Mutt Cafe

The Wrong Dead Guy Richard Kadrey Pub Date: February 28, 2017 Fiction / Fantasy Review The Wrong Dead Guy is utterly hilarious. I don't know whether Richard Kadrey is an alien or merely a genius. Who else would think of such an amazing assortment of hijinks and heists? Captivated from the start, I wavered between laughing out loud and gaping in incredulity. What starts as the simple theft of a mummy leads to a cascade of bizarre activity. From invading a museum dressed as

Single Wired Female By Greg Dragon Thirsty Bird Scifi & Fantasy, Mystery & Thrillers Pub Date: Feb 23 2016 Review Single Wired Female has an intriguing premise, but while the start is promising, the novel falters midway. There is no logical progression that culminates in the story's resolution. Instead the author waves a magic wand which results in the plot being neatly ended with the android lead awakening 50 years later to an almost happily ever after - no explanat

Dark Secret By Janice Frost Joffe Books Mystery & Thrillers Pub Date: February 22, 2016 Review Janice Frost effortlessly blends modern British police procedural with psychological thriller. The end result is a suspenseful novel with a chilling and somewhat surprising conclusion. I always enjoy police procedurals, but part of what especially attracted me to this novel is DS Ava Merry. She is a strong, intelligent female lead who thinks outside of the box. Her rel

The City's Son by Tom Pollock Quercus (US) SciFi & Fantasy Pub Date: February 29, 2016 Review The City's Son brings to light the beautiful and terrible magic underlying the streets of London - where the spirits of light bulbs dance, ghosts of trains roar through the city, and the son of Mater Viae, the goddess of the streets, struggles to fight an ancient enemy born of the greed and decay of London itself. Beth Bradley is a tagger, a 16 year old graffiti artist who b

A Devious Lot Antiques & Collectibles Mysteries #5 by Ellery Adams and Parker Riggs Beyond the Page Publishing Mystery & Thrillers Pub Date: February 19, 2016 Review The Antiques and Collectibles Mysteries of Ellery Adams and Parker Riggs are amazingly fun reads for mystery lovers. For one thing, despite not being a law enforcement professional, Molly is not only allowed to investigate, she is a encouraged to ask questions of witnesses and suspects. Pretty much every mystery

Black Mail By Neville Steed Endeavour Press Mystery & Thrillers Pub Date: February 26, 2016 Review My first experience with Neville Steed was reading one of his cozies, Die-Cast. As I enjoyed that novel immensely, I decided to try Black Mail. Unlike Die-Cast, Black Mail is not strictly a cozy, blending in some pulp/noir elements. The main character, Johnny Black is a private detective in 1937 Britain. A former pilot, Johnny has charm, wit, and a number of helpful friends.

Die-Cast by Neville Steed Endeavour Press Mystery & Thrillers Pub Date: February 19, 2016 Review Don’t be fooled by the cover - it has absolutely no relation to the novel whatsoever. The die in die-cast refers to a method used to create model toys, not to dice or gambling. Die-Cast is a delightful British cozy filled with all of the important ingredients - an interesting village setting removed from the bustle of the city, unique characters, a charming and clever lead, an u

Beyond Tomorrow by Alan David Endeavour Press Sci Fi & Fantasy Pub Date: February 19, 2016 Review On a technical level, Beyond Tomorrow is skillfully written. What it lacks, however, is emotion and the ability to draw the reader in on a visceral level. I didn’t connect with Captain Jex Bowen. I didn’t feel any danger from the unknown or the alien threat. The novel read much like an episode of the original Star Trek series. The tagline (To Boldly Go) and the beginning of

No One Can Hear You Scream and Other Stories by Michael Jecks Endeavor Press Mystery & Thrillers, General Fiction Pub Date: February 19, 2016 Review Although the stories in No One Can Hear You Scream vary greatly in style and setting, all are cleverly plotted and generate a sense of intense expectation in the reader. Each story has a delicious, unexpected twist. All too often short stories suffer from predicability. None of the thrilling stories included in No One Can Hear

Switcheroo: A Gideon Oliver Mystery by Aaron Elkins Thomas & Mercer Mystery & Thrillers Pub Date: February 16, 2016 Review Switcheroo is not your garden variety cozy mystery. It is a unique hybrid that falls somewhere between a cozy and a procedural. Like a cozy, there is little violence and a more relaxed atmosphere, like a procedural the lead (Gideon Oliver) is a professional (a forensic anthropologist) who applies scientific methods systematically to solve crimes. As a f