Category Archives: Fiction

Berkeley Noir (Akashic Noir Series) edited by Jerry Thompson and Owen Hill

(reviewed by JD Jung) “I arrived in Berkeley, back in 1991. A Berkeley that seemed to be still living off the fumes of the late sixties, which were fumes so strong you might just want to breathe them in all … Continue reading

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Fatal Beauty (A Cleve Hawkins Detective Novel) – R.C. Hartson

(reviewed by JD Jung) A serial killer is terrorizing Chicago, and the victims are young women. However, when private investigator Cleve Hawkins’ new client wants him to locate her sister, he initially thinks that she just doesn’t want to be … Continue reading

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The Dead Don’t Sleep – Steven Max Russo

(Reviewed by Don Jung) When I started reading The Dead Don’t Sleep, I soon realized that I would be in for an engrossing journey. Frank Thompson, a Vietnam vet, goes to a local shooting range accompanied by his nephew. They … Continue reading

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Miscreants, Murderers, and Thieves: a collection of short stories about devious behavior – edited by Samuel W. Reed

(reviewed by JD Jung) When I started reading Miscreants, Murderers, and Thieves, I was hoping for raw and gritty stories. I immediately discovered that I would have to change my expectations. Once I did that, I appreciated this eclectic collection. … Continue reading

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Only Lies Remain: A Psychological Thriller – Val Collins

(Reviewed by Don Jung) This story takes place in Ireland and starts out slowly as the characters emerge in this psychological thriller. A husband, Danny Walsh, disappears and his wife Maura is left alone to raise five sons. She mysteriously … Continue reading

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The Museum of Lost Love – Gary Barker

(Reviewed by JD Jung) “…the normal state of lovers, of couples, is not together. Together is a transient state. The normal state of things is as much about ending and leaving as it is about beginning and staying. The normal … Continue reading

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To Hell with Johnny Manic -Andrew Diamond

(reviewed by JD Jung) “I’d still have to be Manis in name. I had his license, his passport, and his spotless record with the law. Manis was employable. Tom Gantry, the fugitive embezzler who’d violated parole in Illinois, was not.” … Continue reading

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Ms. Never – Colin Dodds

(Reviewed by Jeyran Main) Ms. Farya Navurian who suffers from depression, is the daughter of a famous astronaut. She falls in love with Bryan, a divorced telecom CEO. His job is not all that it seems, and as they begin … Continue reading

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Exposed in Edinburgh: The House Sitters Cozy Mysteries – Scarlett Moss

(Reviewed by Don Jung) This is a delightful mystery of two Texans going to housesit in Edinburgh, Scotland, and discovering the cultural heritage of a faraway distant land. Alen is a sheriff and his wife Joan, a 911 dispatcher who … Continue reading

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The Man in the Cellar – Palle Rosenkrantz

(Reviewed by Heidi A. Swan) I was captivated by the voice of the author from the very beginning. It is a translation of the best-selling novel by the Danish novelist, Palle Rosenkrantz, and was written over one hundred years ago. … Continue reading

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