Underrated Reads

Breaking Silence: A Novel – Linda Castillo

Posted on April 27, 2012 by J D Jung

Reviewed by Donna Lewis Get this book! Kate Burkholder, the police chief of an Ohio Amish town is faced with what at first appears to be a tragic accident.However, it soon becomes evident she the town has been confronted by a gruesome triple homicide. Chief Burkholder, who bears an Amish past, has her own personal reasons to pursue the killer.…

Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers | Comments Off

Apples and Oranges – Marie Brenner

Posted on April 16, 2012 by J D Jung

It’s been reported that 52% of brothers and sisters have a close rapport, while 12% have none. Another 21% have a “borderline” relationship. The latter is how New York journalist Marie Brenner defined her relationship with her older brother, Carl. Their relationship had always been strained, and now it was crucial that she figure out…

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Mygale – Thierry Jonquet (Translated from the French by Donald Nicholson-Smith)

Posted on March 17, 2012 by J D Jung

Ah, revenge can be so sweet. Now mix it with obsession and a touch of madness, and it turns utterly twisted and bizarre. Such is the case with the intense and fascinating novel, Mygale, written by the late French crime novelist Thierry Jonquet. Richard Lafargue, a successful, well-respected plastic surgeon carries a dark secret. He…

Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers, Dark/Sordid/Bizarre, French Literature, Lost and almost forgotten, Reviewers' Top Picks | Tagged French literature, mystery, short books | 1 Comment

Now you’re rating books?

Posted on March 12, 2012 by J D Jung

After finishing the extraordinary thriller, Mygale, by the late Thierry Jonquet, I realized that I needed a way to distinguish the exceptional “must read immediately” from the “very good, definitely worth your time” books. This lead me to the three to five star (or should I say “bookmark”) system. Every book will have at least…

Posted in Conversations | 2 Comments

City Lights

Posted on February 26, 2012 by J D Jung

I found it quite disturbing that what I enjoyed about this town was now gone. I havent been here in a couple of years, but during the last few times I visited I had established a comfortable routine. Run in the morning, have coffee and check my email at my favorite spot, and in the…

Posted in Conversations | Tagged bookstores | Comments Off

The Italian Lover – Robert Hellenga

Posted on February 20, 2012 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) Margo Harrington, an American expatriate living in Italy, is excited to hear that her memoir, The Sixteen Pleasures, will be made into a feature film. The book details her experiences when she first came to Florence. While working in a convent, restoring irreplaceable books damaged in the flood of 1966, she…

Posted in Modern Literary Fiction, Reviewers' Top Picks | Tagged fiction, Italy | 2 Comments

The Big O – Declan Burke

Posted on February 19, 2012 by J D Jung

Check it out! Have you ever stumbled across a novel that contains such an implausible plot and a vague setting—and it doesn’t even allow you to feel for any of the characters? Believe it or not, I did—and I ate it up. Irish writer Declan Burke has managed to get away with breaking all of…

Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers, Humor & Satire, Irish Literature | Tagged anti-hero, Irish literature, satire | Comments Off

The Dying Crapshooter’s Blues – David Fulmer

Posted on February 18, 2012 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) Atlanta, 1923: In the midst of Prohibition, the city is seething with corruption, bootlegging, narcotics, gambling, and counterfeiting scams. This would seem the perfect scenario for Joe “Indian Joe” Rose to drift into town, as he does every year or so, to try to make some cash. Actually, Joe couldn’t have…

Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers, Historical Fiction, Music inspired | Tagged blues, crime fiction, jazz | 2 Comments

Triangle of Deception – Haggai Carmon

Posted on February 17, 2012 by J D Jung

Check it out! Dan Gordon works undercover for the U. S. Department of Justice, pursuing money launderers and white-collar criminals who flee the country. Why the need to go undercover? Because many of his targets are among the world’s most dangerous terrorists. Gordon worked for the Mossad, Israel’s intelligence agency, for three years. When one…

Posted in Crime, Mystery and Thrillers, Historical Fiction, World Issues | 2 Comments

The House on Fortune Street – Margot Livesey

Posted on February 13, 2012 by J D Jung

(Reviewed by JD Jung) Is it possible to emotionally escape the experiences of our childhood in order to live our lives fully as adults? Can we ever break away from our own self-absorption in order to get close to those we hold dear? These topics have been explored endlessly by numerous writers, but none have…

Posted in Modern Literary Fiction | Tagged English literature | 1 Comment