Category Archives: Fiction

In Love – Alfred Hayes (with Introduction by Frederic Raphael)

Posted on February 14, 2015 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) “The sense of well-being which had flooded through me as I sat at the table and thought of not having now the burden of another’s life on me had almost entirely vanished, and the humiliation of … Continue reading →

Posted in Lost and almost forgotten | Tagged classics, noir | Comments Off

Counsel of Ravens (Hubert James Champion III Book 2) – M. M. Gornell

Posted on February 12, 2015 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by Glenda Anderson) As of this writing, my car is oiled and gassed, ready to tear over the Cajon Pass for Route 66 territory so I can help put out the fires of evil, eat some pancakes and possibly … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers | 17 Comments

Glenfiddich Inn – Alan Geik

Posted on January 29, 2015 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) “Byron claims he has proof the Cubs and the Red Sox fixed the World Series…But he could never publish it because the censors would say it hurt morale—that it would be injurious to the war effort.” –September … Continue reading →

Posted in Historical Fiction | Comments Off

The Oxford Murder – by Guillermo Martinez (Author), Sonia Soto (Translator)

Posted on January 16, 2015 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) Mathematicians collide with murder and mayhem in Guillermo Martínez’s thriller, The Oxford Murders. An un-named young Argentinean graduate student goes to Oxford University to study mathematics. One evening, he returns to the house where he’s renting … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers, Latin American Literature, World Literature | Tagged Pythagoreanism, world literature | Comments Off

Nobody Is Ever Missing – Catherine Lacey

Posted on January 9, 2015 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) “I was beginning to realize that what I wanted was the noise of people living near me, but not near enough to cause any inaudible noises to show up because I knew that those sorts of … Continue reading →

Posted in Modern Literary Fiction | Tagged fiction, New Zealand | Comments Off

The Vices – Lawrence Douglas

Posted on December 23, 2014 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned “It would be years before I would be prepared to accept his self-assessment [as a sick person], and even then, not fully. …he was handsome, wealthy, the youngest tenured professor at one of the nation’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Modern Literary Fiction | Tagged family, lies, mystery, Religion | Comments Off

Sex, Rain, and Cold Fusion – A. R. Taylor

Posted on September 28, 2014 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) “…each time he closed his eyes, he pictures working at Juan de Fuca…Down there, in that torrid, turbid world of extremes, how could he discern the workings of a fifth force so slight that it showed … Continue reading →

Posted in Humor & Satire | Tagged humor, satire | Comments Off

Fighting Chance – Jane Haddam

Posted on September 18, 2014 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) “Tibor was always surprised at how casual and unassuming most real evil really was. …so much evil was done as everyday business…And it was nothing. It was just transactions. It had the same emotional force on … Continue reading →

Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers | Comments Off

The Confessions of Frances Godwin – Robert Hellenga

Posted on August 24, 2014 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) “My life doesn’t add up to anything, Father. More like the story of Troy—all in a day’s work—than Rome, going in circles instead of moving forward. I’ve worn out all the roles I used to play—daughter, … Continue reading →

Posted in Modern Literary Fiction | Comments Off

Rockaway – Tara Ison

Posted on August 11, 2014 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) “…the relationship of note to note, that’s what music is, we should have been listening to music in all those art classes, trying to grasp color, refraction, translucence, perspective, the illusion of depth…” It also occurred to … Continue reading →