Category Archives: Fiction

All We Trust – Gregory Galloway

(Reviewed by JD Jung) Half-brothers Peck and Al, launder money for a local crime lord through a bar and hardware store. They have been partners in petty crime since childhood, but adulthood has only deepened their dependence on each other. … Continue reading

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The Night Swimmer – Simon J Houlton

(Reviewed by JD Jung) Bill Eckersley, in his late thirties, drifts through life in the working-class seaside town of Hastings, England. He’s the kind of character who reminds us of the troubled, unstable writers we’ve all read about—but without the … Continue reading

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Leverage – Amran Gowani

(Reviewed by JD Jung) At only twenty-seven-year-old, Ali Jafar is a high-performing hedge fund manager for Prism Capital in San Francisco. He’s smart, respected, and has earned the confidence of his powerful boss, Paul Kingsley, founder of the firm and … Continue reading

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The Yellow Dog – Georges Simenon (translated by Linda Asher)

(Reviewed by JD Jung) Originally published in 1931, in English in 1939, and now re-released in English, The Yellow Dog offers readers a taste of Georges Simenon’s signature crime storytelling. Set in the small seaside town of Concarneau, France, a … Continue reading

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The Obsessions of Harvey Usher – David Putnam

(Reviewed by JD Jung) “ Eighty-three-year-old Harvey Usher is a recluse who still, after two years, mourns the death of his wife. When he finds a young woman inside his house who claims to be his wife, he’s sure that … Continue reading

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A Friend of Dorothy’s – Richard Willett

(Reviewed by John Heilman) A Friend of Dorothy’s manages to capture a young gay man’s search for belonging while simultaneously describing another young man’s decline during the early days of the AIDS epidemic. The book is a powerful reminder of … Continue reading

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Wordsworth in Bogotá – Scott E. Sundby

(Reviewed by JD Jung)   Colombian drug lord Diego Velasquez is facing financial ruin. It’s right after 9/11, and the U.S. borders are tightening, and corrupt officials are now refusing bribes. His two sons represent the family’s split identity: Carlos, … Continue reading

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The Silence of Flesh: A Novel of Conscience, Identity, and Holy Vows – Glenn Cooper

(Reviewed by JD Jung) “People who are different, even outcasts by some, are not outcasts to the Lord.” Cardinal Anthony Budd had no desire to become Pope. Also, it was unlikely since he was an outsider and would be only … Continue reading

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Damn English! – Gary Sherbell

(Reviewed by JD Jung) For those of you who are confused with the inconsistencies and nonsensical idioms and figures of speech in the English language, this book is for you. Gary Sherbell shares his irritation, but in a hilarious way … Continue reading

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Beautiful and Terrible Things- S.M. Stevens

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(Reviewed by Don Jung) Twenty-nine-year-old Charley Byrne is going through the motions of life without actually living it. Having lost her parents at age sixteen and her grandparents at age twenty-three, she works as a bookstore manager with few friends. … Continue reading

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