Category Archives: Fiction

The Imaginary Life of a Laurel Tree – Mario Fortunato (Author), Michael F. Moore (Translator)

Posted on September 8, 2026 by J D Jung

When I was visiting Genoa, Italy, I popped into Feltrinelli Librerie and picked up a book with an intriguing and original plot: The Imaginary Life of a Laurel Tree by Mario Fortunato. Our unnamed narrator, a writer in his forties, … Continue reading →

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Good Lookin’ – T L Bequette

Posted on September 4, 2026 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) I’m always drawn to crime thrillers that combine a captivating murder case with characters who feel like real people, and Good Lookin’ certainly kept me turning the pages. Oakland attorney Joe Turner has never lost a … Continue reading →

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The Eye of Goliath – Diego Muzzio (Author), Rahul Bery (Translator)

Posted on August 31, 2026 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) When I started reading The Eye of Goliath, I was immediately intrigued by Dr. Edward Pierce, a physician running a sanatorium outside Edinburgh who uses hypnosis and other controversial methods to treat soldiers suffering from the … Continue reading →

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Within the Walls: A Dark Romance – V. S. Maxon

Posted on August 28, 2026 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) When I started reading Within the Walls, I expected a story about a kidnapping, but it turned out to be much more psychologically complex. Actress Sophie Hartnet is abducted on her way back to her Paris … Continue reading →

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Pereira Maintains – Antonio Tabucchi, translated by Patrick Creagh

Posted on August 17, 2026 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) When I picked up Pereira Maintains at Paperback Exchange in Florence, Italy, I had no idea how relevant this novel would feel today. Set in Portugal in the summer of 1938, during the rise of fascism … Continue reading →

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Joan of the Arcane – Alexandra Fleder

Posted on August 11, 2026 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) What happens when a former punk-rock singer reaches her forties, her children have left home for college, and suburban life suddenly feels like a cage? That’s where Joan finds herself in this wonderfully original and often … Continue reading →

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Almost Blue -Carlo Lucarelli (Author) , Oonagh Stransky (Translator)

Posted on August 7, 2026 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung)     “That’s why I’m listening to the city tonight, with Chet Baker playing softly in the background.” Another book I picked up while visiting Bologna, Italy, was Almost Blue by Carlo Lucarelli at Feltrinelli Librerie. … Continue reading →

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Buyer Beware – Catherine Ryan Howard

Posted on July 28, 2026 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) Set on the outskirts of Dublin in 2025, Buyer Beware follows Ellie as she moves into the first home she’s ever owned. Unfortunately, it’s cold, filthy, and falling apart, and with little money to spare, she can … Continue reading →

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From Lompoc With Love – Haris Orkin

Posted on July 25, 2026 by J D Jung

Reviewed by Don Jung) From Lompoc With Love is the sixth in a series of spy thrillers that is fast paced with nonstop action that takes you around the world. James Flynn is a retired “secret agent” who is trying to … Continue reading →

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Savvy Summers and the Po’boy Perils – Sandra Jackson-Opoku

Posted on July 21, 2026 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) I usually gravitate toward gritty thrillers rather than cozy mysteries, so I wasn’t expecting Savvy Summers and the Po’boy Perils to hook me the way it did. But this engaging culinary mystery quickly won me over. … Continue reading →

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