Author Archives: J D Jung

The Gardener: A socially conscious page-turner – Michael Shainsky

Posted on March 7, 2021 by J D Jung

(reviewed by JD Jung) “…truth is a bitter enemy of those who profit from lies.” Jose Gonzales is a fifty-seven-year-old widower and gardener who lives in Bakersfield, a large city in the California central valley. He loves books, his flowers … Continue reading →

Posted in More fiction | Tagged philosophy, short books | Comments Off

Drawing The Line: No Ladies in Room A3 – Clare Scopes

Posted on February 25, 2021 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by Jeyran Main) The year is 1938, and no ladies are working as animators at Harley Studios, Los Angeles. Maggie Goodwin wants to change that and prove everyone wrong. In a world where most of the time we get … Continue reading →

Posted in Historical Fiction | Tagged Historical fiction, women's rights | Comments Off

In Remembrance of Lawrence Ferlinghetti

Posted on February 23, 2021 by J D Jung

( by JD Jung) “As long as there is poetry, there will be an unknown; as long as there is an unknown there will be poetry. The function of the independent press (besides being essentially dissident) is still to discover, … Continue reading →

Posted in Let's talk | Tagged beat generation, free speech, Lawrence Ferlinghetti, poetry, San Francisco | Comments Off

The Festival Killer: An RJ Rox Thriller – Jo McCready

Posted on February 21, 2021 by J D Jung

(reviewed by JD Jung) “Who knows the heart of a man and what moves in that darkness?” James Bridie (1888-1951) Scottish playwright, … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers | Tagged British crime, crime fiction, serial killers | Comments Off

The People of Ostrich Mountain- Ndirangu Githaiga

Posted on February 18, 2021 by J D Jung

(reviewed by Ann Onymous ) This book takes its title from the view of Mt. Kilimanjaro from a distance. To some there appear to be ostriches up at the top but when we look closer, we each see different things. … Continue reading →

Posted in Immigration, Modern Literary Fiction | Tagged family, friendship, gender, immigration, Kenya, race | Comments Off

Chill Run : An Eddie Barrow Mystery – Russell Brooks

Posted on February 15, 2021 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by Don Jung) Eddie Barrows wants to be an author, but he can’t get published. He loses his girlfriend, then his job and what else could go wrong? He goes to see his parents to get himself a morale … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers, Reviewers' Top Picks | Tagged Canada, crime fiction, suspense | Comments Off

The Concrete Vineyard – Cam Lang

Posted on February 10, 2021 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by Jeyran Main) The Concrete Vineyard is a murder mystery with elements of urban planning, thrills, twists, and turns that unexpectedly engage the reader from the world they are in. It all begins with the suspicious death of an … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers | Tagged crime fiction, detective fiction, murder-mystery | Comments Off

An UnderratedRead Revisited: The Riddle of the Sphinx – Alexandre Montagu

Posted on February 7, 2021 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) How do I begin a review of a novel that kept me captive from page one and didn’t release me until the very end? I didn’t want to break for work, family, friends, or anything. How … Continue reading →

Posted in Revisited | Tagged identity, Iran, Islamic revolution, LGBT, Shah | Comments Off

Confessions of a Gentleman Killer – Johnny Payne

Posted on January 29, 2021 by J D Jung

(reviewed by JD Jung) “If I didn’t kill them afterward, you’d say I was the perfect client, boyfriend, husband, or lover. And believe me, that’s the man I want to be, the man I tried to be. And failed.” It’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers, Dark/Sordid/Bizarre, Historical Fiction | Tagged crime fiction, London, serial killers | Comments Off