Category Archives: Modern Literary Fiction

Return of the Heroine—Kaye Michelle

(Reviewed by Melanie Hamilton) In Kaye Michelle’s provocative and inspiring novel, Return of the Heroine, West Point Cadet Jane Archer has a problem: Should she do what’s right or save her career? The daughter of senior counsel to Providence Rhode … Continue reading

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Together Tea – Marjan Kamali

(Reviewed by JD Jung) “Darya loved to calculate the statistic of available Persian bachelors, factoring in their attributes, family histories, education, the probability for divorce. She had her very own system of assigning numbers to certain qualities… Darya was so … Continue reading

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Defection Games – Haggai Carmon

(Reviewed by JD Jung) #CommissionsEarned The CIA and Mossad (Israel’s intelligence agency) engage in a constant battle to thwart Iran’s nuclear capabilities. This is how we meet up again with former Mossad agent, Dan Gordon, as he continues his dangerous … Continue reading

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Jacob’s Folly

(Reviewed by JD Jung) “Something amazing had happened to my sight: it was as if the top of my head had been removed and replaced with an enormous eye. I could see jagged purple clouds drifting above me, the streets … Continue reading

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Rose of Málaga – Bobbi Verdugo

(Reviewed by J.D. Jung) “… the greatest thing about Malagueños is that they will never ask you about your past or ask you to divulge.” That’s why Rose felt so comfortable here. People came to Málaga to go unnoticed. That … Continue reading

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Tides Ebb as Islands Dream – Brian J. English, Ph.D

(Reviewed by J.D. Jung) #CommissionsEarned Rule #1: Don’t try to understand anything. This was Sean’s primary rule as he began his assignment at the village of Gilutongan in the Olango Islands in the Philippines. Like so many Peace Corps volunteers, … Continue reading

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A Child Out of Alcatraz -Tara Ison

(Reviewed by J.D. Jung) When I visit San Francisco, I often gaze over the bay to that small island that radiates so much history. This island housed some of America’s most infamous criminals: Al Capone, Robert Franklin Stroud (the Birdman … Continue reading

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Admission – Jean Hanff Korelitz

(Reviewed by J.D. Jung) I don’t know anything about the upcoming release of the film, Admission, starring Tina Fey and Paul Rudd, but I fondly remember reviewing the book right before is was released in 2009. It was college decision time, and students constantly … Continue reading

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Too Bright to Hear Too Loud to See – Juliann Garey

(reviewed by Renée Kay) Greyson Todd, a very successful studio executive, suffers from bipolar disorder. Todd detested his own father whose manic episodes created tremendous chaos both financially and emotionally for the family. On the other hand, he adored his mother … Continue reading

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One Eyed Jack – Christopher J. Lynch

(Reviewed by J.D. Jung) < I love a good villain…at least in novels. So when I came across extortionist John Sharp, I just had to get to know him better. John, or “One Eyed Jack”, as they call him knows … Continue reading

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